Rumors
by Inkaholic4U
Summary: Katarina Mason was supposed to be floated in five days on her 18th birthday, but someone on the Ark thought she deserved a second chance. On earth, will she manage to survive or will she flounder like some of the others that had been sent down with her? Completed
1. Prologue

_"Italic"_ spoken in Grounder's language

"Regular" spoken in normal English

 **Rumors**

 **Prologue**

It was still early when Lincoln left the hut that he was currently sharing with his friend, a local healer of Ton DC. Nyko had asked him to stay in the village after a long day of hunting the day before, and he had reluctantly agreed, only because of how late it had gotten. They had brought back two boars, and one deer, it being one of the better hunts they had in some time. With the nights getting shorter, and colder for winter, food had been getting scarcer. They would need to stockpile on a lot of food to last them through the winter months, if they hoped to survive.

Looking to the sky, the dark-skinned man that was draped in layers to keep warm for the cold morning air, squinted as he took in the clear sky and thought to himself that it might be good to go out on another hunt, before he returned to his own home. Lincoln had settled in a cave not too far from Ton DC, but also far enough to give him the space, and privacy he preferred. Not that it stopped Nyko, or Artigas from visiting him unannounced.

With food running short, and hunts coming up more empty handed than not, it would be better to go out sooner than wait another day. Sighing softly under his breath, Lincoln turned away from the sky, and followed the dirt path that traveled around several other huts that made up the small village. The pathway soon opened up to a small clearing that sat in the center of Ton DC, and where a large fire pit had been built. Already the fire was going, with the flames licking out at the chilled air to help warm up the few people who were up already.

Taking his spot next to the healer, Lincoln nodded silently in greeting to him. Nyko returned the sentiment with a nod of his own, before he focused his gaze towards the fire. Where Lincoln was tall and lean, Nyko was just a hair shorter than him, but much stockier in frame. Nyko was also much gruffer looking, with long dark brown hair that was shaved close along the sides of his head and braided with several small braids in the back, and an unruly beard. The right side of his friend's face was decorated in tribal tattoos; the dark blue design in the shape of a hypnotic swirl started just below his right eye, and extended counterclockwise across his right eye, and ended in an arrow pointed tip near his hairline on his forehead. Lincoln had known the healer for many years, and considered him a good friend. He could not say the same for the rest of the inhabitants of Ton DC however.

" _We should hunt again today_ ," Lincoln spoke up at last, quick and to the point as always.

Nyko hummed under his breath, and dipped his head in a nod to agree with him. Nyko was a man of few words; most of his responses consisting of sounds, or simple facial expressions. He only spoke when necessary, and even then, his words would be short and to the point much like Lincoln's.

The sun was barely above the canopy of trees that surrounded the perimeter of Ton DC, with its light filtering in passed the leaves. Lincoln could feel the heat of it at his back, and he knew it would be a warmer day than what yesterday had brought.

" _Are you two planning to go out hunting again_ ," Artigas inquired as he bounded up beside them with barely contained excitement. The young man was barely into his teens, making him the youngest warrior in the village. Artigas had not received any tribal tattoos yet, being so young still, but within the year, he most likely would receive his first of many. The young man had dark brown hair, shaved short, except for the top that had been braided back from his face, and tied off into a pony tail at the back.

With a small sigh, Lincoln turned his attention to the young man beside him, and nodded his head. " _Yes we will be leaving soon to hunt,_ " he answered simply, before turning his eyes back to the fire pit. He had hoped to leave before Artigas had woken up, because he knew what the young man would ask next, even before he had formed the question in his mind, and blurted it out.

" _Can I come_?" he asked, his excitement slipping through in his tone, and the way he shifted from one foot to the next.

" _No_ ," Nyko spoke up suddenly, not even acknowledging the young man with a look as he sorted the herbs he stored in his medicinal pouch. Lincoln had one just like it; carrying an antidote to the numerous poisons one could run into in these woods as well as the poison he coated his knife, and arrow tips with.

" _What...? But why_?" Artigas demanded, his face darkening with indignation at being shut down so bluntly. Truthfully, Artigas should be used to it by now, but that never stopped him from acting his age, and sometimes even younger on occasion when he could get away with it.

Lincoln was about to answer, when there was a loud explosion, and a screech of metal against metal high above their heads. The group flinched, not prepared for the horrible sound, but it had them all jumping to their feet, and looking to the sky for the source of it. Other villagers came out of their huts, the noise drawing them from the safety of their homes to witness the large metal object hurtling through the sky towards earth like a meteor. But this was no space rock.

Lincoln recognized the man-made dropship from one similar he had come across when he was much younger, only this one was much larger in size. It was definitely not a single man spacecraft, judging by the size of it. Beside him, Nyko was tense, and a quick look to Artigas would show the slight fascination in the younger boy's eyes. Lincoln wondered if his own expression mirrored the expression, or if it was hidden behind the concern he also felt that more sky people were falling to earth.

Bits and pieces of the dropship began to fall away, the heat from the earth's atmosphere doing a number to the craft, and tearing it apart. Flames billowed out from the bottom of the craft, leaving a trail of black smoke in its wake. There was a sharp noise, muffled only slightly, from the distance it was still away from them, and a parachute exploded out from the top of it. The dropship jerked backwards suddenly from the force, and its decent slowed immensely.

The last dropship he had seen didn't have a parachute, and the fact that this one did, only seemed to cause more concern to curl inside his gut, and his hands to tighten into fists at his sides.

 _Why were sky people coming to earth…?_ He wondered with concern, _And how many of them are coming?_

Another person joined them near the fire, coming to a stop beside Artigas. Lincoln didn't look, but continued to watch as the dropship sailed passed the trees, and disappeared from sight. Not long afterwards there was a large crash that caused the earth under their feet to tremble from the force of the impact of its landing. The dropship had more than likely landed in their territory, and not far from their village it seemed. _A few miles, maybe more._ It was hard to tell with how fast it had been falling even with the parachute.

" _Skaikru_ ," Indra snarled under her breath, her hatred and anger to their sudden arrival, showing in her stance, and tone of voice. Lowering his head, Lincoln looked over at their Chief who had joined them to watch the dropship. Her nostrils were flared and she had pressed her lips into a thin line of barely contained fury. Her features were fierce, and prominent in the early morning light, and her dark skin made the scars that adorned her face stand out more, unlike the crescent like tribal tattoos that curled around her eyes. Her black hair was kept very short, the curls kept close to her scalp.

" _Lincoln_ ," she said, her head turning to look at him, and he could see her eyes narrow as she stared at him.

He nodded his head, letting her know she had his attention, and waited for her to speak her mind.

" _Scout out the crash site. If there are any survivors take care of them,_ " she said through gritted teeth, and her hand that had been resting on the hilt of her sword, tightened in response to her own words.

Lincoln tensed at her orders, but nodded his head again to accept her command. She was their leader, and he would have to follow her directive, no matter how much the idea of killing these people bothered him. _"Of course_ ," he said softly, and turned on his heels. He headed back to Nyko's hut to gather up his belongings. He slipped on his dark green jacket that hung low past his waist, and tucked in a few knives into the hidden pockets. He slipped a mask on over his face to help him blend into the trees more as he would need them to keep out of sight of the sky people. He slung his bow, and quiver over his shoulder next, before leaving the hut.

Outside he found Nyko waiting for him. The large man was quiet as he studied Lincoln, his blue eyes reading him better than anyone else could. Nyko held out his arm between them and Lincoln didn't hesitate to grip the man's arm in return in a firm hold. It was the closest they would get to wishing each other luck on a hunt or fight, but the simple gesture said more than any words could, in Lincoln's opinion.

Releasing his arm, Nyko nodded to him, and stepped aside. Lincoln adjusted the bow over his shoulder before taking off at a jog. He left the village, his footsteps silent as he moved through the trees. He kept at a steady pace, as he traveled the miles between his village and the crash site. He used the billowing smoke from the dropship as his guide, and soon found himself slowing to a stop near the edge of the tree line. He could make out the large metal structure, through the trees and so far, there was no sign of life in the clearing it had created in its landing.

Lincoln glanced around, using his ears to listen for any sign of the sky people in the area, but the forest around him was silent. Looking up, he spied a tree with a sturdy branch within his reach and moved towards it. He jumped up, his gloved hands grappling onto the low branch, before he heaved himself up into the tree. His muscles strained to pull his weight up off the ground, but he managed to maneuver himself up into the canopy. Shifting around, he spied the dropship from his new vantage point.

With his dark clothes, the mask, and paint that he wore around his eyes and cheeks, would help keep his body camouflaged. He was not worried of being spotted from his perch, and as he held very still, knew they would not hear him even if they passed directly under his tree.

It was relatively silent in the clearing, and with little noise coming from the spacecraft, it had him believing that the sky people within were either injured or dead. His thoughts however were cut short, when the doors suddenly hissed loudly, with steam billowing out from the hinges as it opened, and slowly lowered to the ground. He could hear voices now, getting louder as the door opened further. From this distance, he couldn't see inside very well, but from the sounds of it, there were several people inside. More survivors than he would be able to take out all on his own. He shifted in his post, centering his gravity more towards the base of the tree limb, so that he would have more freedom to move if he needed to act quickly.

He watched as a young female with dark hair stepped out first, and the exuberance she displayed as she took her first step out onto the earth, reminded him of Artigas. The young female threw out her arms and cried out, "We're back bitches!"

Lincoln tilted his head to the side, finding the display rather unusual, but his knowledge on sky people was rather limited. Soon more sky people began to pour out from the dropship, as if the young female's words had spurred them to life. The group began to hoot and holler, frolicking in the clearing at having survived the crash. He counted heads, finding ninety-eight survivors. He wondered if any had died in the crash, or if that was all of them. Were more lingering inside the ship? He really didn't think any more people could fit inside, despite the ship's size, it seemed like it would be rather crammed if there were more of them.

He watched the group silently, tracking their movements as they moved about the clearing to get a lay of the land. They all seemed rather young in age, ranging from early to late teens. _Around Artigas' age._ One however, seemed older than the rest, but not by much. _Their leader?_

Lincoln slipped his bow from his shoulder, his movements slow and precise. He withdrew an arrow from the quiver at his back, and nocked it into place. Pulling the string taunt against his cheek, his body poised steadily in the branches of his hiding place. He could vaguely hear two people speaking below him, but their conversation fell on deaf ears as he focused solely on the male he presumed to be their leader.

 _Kill the head and the rest will flounder,_ the term crossed his mind as he steadied his aim. He wasn't worried about anyone noticing him; they could neither hear him, nor see him. If by any chance they happened to notice his presence it would be too late anyway. Lining his sights on the older male, he locked on, and aimed for the heart. One shot was all it would take.

He breathed in, and slowly let it out. His aim predicted how the slight breeze in the air, and the distance between him and his target would have on it. His fingers twitched, anticipating the release of the arrow when a crashing sound from inside the dropship had him changing targets, and aiming at the opening. He vaguely noted as others turned to the noise as well before a final figure emerged from inside the ship.

Lincoln froze for a moment, his fingers curling tightly around the arrow, and string to hold it in place as he stared, with his arrow trained on her heart. She was small in size, not childlike but from being rather short, and bony. She looked underweight as if she had been malnourished for some time. The other ninety-eight had the same look, but hers seemed more prominent with her smaller frame. With the loose fitting clothes she wore, he could see pale skin, untouched by the sunlight unlike his people. Another feature that he noticed was common amongst the group of sky people.

Lincoln found his arms relaxing, his grip on the taut string slowly releasing to disengage the arrow. He lowered the weapon, though not putting it away entirely, as he continued to watch her. She had stumbled out of the drop ship, tangled in red harness straps. She cursed under her breath, but he couldn't make out the exact words she used. A few of the sky people near her laughed at her predicament, as she had to push the harness down over her hips, and step out of them, showing that the buckle hadn't wanted to release after landing.

She struggled with the harness for a second long before throwing it back into the darkened opening of the dropship behind her, once she was free of it. Lifting her head, her hand raised reflexively, to shield her eyes as the sun glared above her. A breeze rustled through the clearing, and the gust was strong enough to lift her auburn hair from her back, as she spun around on her heels. The breeze tossed her hair to the side, and the sunlight caught the strands, making her hair look like fire reflecting in the bright rays. It wasn't until she marched back through the opening she had stumbled out of just seconds before, that Lincoln realized he had been staring at her.

Shaking his head, Lincoln was pulled away from his musings at the conversation of a group not far from his perch on the tree. They were planning to send out a scouting party to Mount Weather in search of food. Gritting his teeth, Lincoln replaced the arrow back into his quiver, and slung his bow over his shoulder. He turned from the dropship, and the surviving sky people, and leapt to a neighboring tree. His boots landed onto another sturdy branch, his hands grabbing at the trunk to help steady himself. He travelled through the trees like that, until he was at a safe distance away before dropping to the ground. He then took off at run, heading back towards his village.

It didn't take him nearly as long to return to the village, and find Indra waiting for him near the edge of Ton DC. She had her hand on her blade, as if she hadn't moved from her spot since the dropship appeared in the sky. When she recognized him, her stance eased up, though she refused to remove her hand from the hilt.

" _Is it done_ ," she asked immediately, wanting to know if he had killed the survivors.

Lincoln stopped several paces before her, and took a moment to pick his words wisely. He shook his head slowly to the question, his eyes watching as her gaze narrowed on him, and her lips creased downward into a deep frown.

" _Why not_ ," she demanded an answer.

" _There are ninety-nine survivors_ ," he answered her. " _They seem unarmed but I was unable to get inside the dropship to see if that is truly the case. However, there is a problem- the survivors have sent out a scouting party to Mount Weather._ "

Indra stiffened at his words, and if possible her expression darkened even more. She cursed under her breath, her brows furrowing together as she tried to devise a proper plan of action. Lincoln waited in front of her, and the silence between them stretched for several seconds.

" _We will need to keep an eye on the survivors, see what kind of threat they pose, and how best to take them out. We also need to inform the commander of their arrival_ ," she muttered mostly to herself. " _You are sure the scouting party is heading to Mount Weather?"_

Lincoln nodded his head to the question.

" _They must be stopped first, at all costs. Artigas, Penn!_ "

The two young men quickly approached from the small crowd that had started to gather, after he had arrived back at the village. " _Follow the scouts, stop them from reaching the mountain, and use any means necessary if they succeed in crossing the river. We cannot act against them unless the commander allows it_ ," Indra told the pair.

Both Artigas and Penn nodded their heads once, and turned to make their leave.

Lincoln waited till they were gone, before he turned his focus back to their Chief. She was still scowling; her heated gaze directed in the same direction as the dropship had landed.

" _Do you want me to return to the dropship, and keep an eye on the survivors?"_ Lincoln asked her. Whether she said yes or no, Lincoln felt compelled to return, and part of that reason was not to just keep an eye on the group. He had always been rather curious of the sky people.

Indra startled from her thoughts, her eyes turning to him as she considered his question. After a brief hesitation, she nodded her head in agreement. " _Only watch them Lincoln_ ," she said carefully. " _We need to know if they are armed, and how much of a threat they pose_." She was well aware of his brief history with the sky people, but was willing to overlook it, since he had been just a boy at the time. " _Do not interact with them- and do not let them see you._ "

Lincoln nodded his head and turning on his heels, headed back out of the village. He would have to stop by the cave he called his home first, and eat, as well as pack thicker coverings to survive a night out in the cold, before returning to the dropship. Shifting the weight of his bow on his shoulder, he started off at a jog, unaware of the heavy stare at his back and the look of concern that crossed Nyko's features.

* * *

 _ **AN: ~Revised 1/17/17~**_

 ** _So I am trying my hand at something entirely new here. I just recently got hooked onto this tv show and ideas have just been hitting me like a storm. So here is my attempt at the 100 fanfiction. I hope its something different and interesting to read. Please let me know what you think of it, I greatly appreciate any feedback you can give me^^._**

 ** _So did you love/like/hate it?_**

 ** _Inky out_**


	2. Chapter One

**Rumors**

 **Chapter one**

Katarina Mason was not having a good day to say the least. Actually, she hadn't had a good day in over two years, since she had been locked up in the skybox back on the Ark, so today should not have been much of a surprise. But as the fates would have it, today was turning out to be one of the worst, she had in a very long time. Waking up to find she was falling to earth in a dropship with one hundred other people, had been the start of it. Crash landing in the middle of nowhere, and apparently nowhere near where they were supposed to land, only seemed to add icing to this horrible cake that had become her life. Then to add as a cherry on top, she was stuck here with _now_ ninety-eight people- since two had died in the landing due to their own stupidity- that disliked and distrusted her.

After the rather rough landing, Kat had found herself stuck in her harness while everyone else had been let go, and free to escape the dropship as soon as the door opened. Thankfully Wells, a young and considerably tall black man had been nice enough to cut her loose, before taking off to join the others outside. There were now ninety-eight delinquents unsupervised on this planet. Clearly, someone had not really thought this plan out very well. Sure they most likely had been sent here to die, but on the off chance that they lived, one would think, the higher ups would have considered sending someone in charge with them to help keep them in line.

They were delinquents after all, ranging from seventeen and younger, that had been held prisoner for various crimes back on the Ark. The Ark, being a space station which humans had called home for the past ninety-seven years, due to a nuclear apocalypse that had made earth inhabitable.

Shaking her head, Kat exited the dropship a second time after having gone back in to get out of the sun, when it had blinded her. Having lived in space her whole life with only florescent lighting as a source of light, the bright rays from the sun had caused dark spots to form before her eyes. Her corneas felt like they had been seared several layers deep and it took her some time to blink the spots from her vision.

Kat stood in the warm light now, her eyes closed for the moment to just give her body time to adjust. There was something freeing and terrifying, as she stood there. She had grown used to living in an eight by five foot cell for over two years. Opening her eyes, she took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. The freshness of the crisp morning air was exhilarating. Filtered air on the Ark always had a stale taste to it. But this- she could smell the musk from the trees, and the richness of the dirt, and the dew-covered grass. It was more than she could have ever imagined earth to be. Not that she ever imagined the opportunity of seeing, and experiencing earth in her lifetime. Hell, she was supposed to die in five days after all. Sentenced to be floated on her eighteenth birthday didn't really inspire much hope of seeing anything other than her cell, till the moment right before her execution.

Kat was pulled away from her thoughts, when one of the boys she vaguely recognized, started towards her with a smirk on his face. _John Murphy_ , she recalled his name, when she was able to see his face in the shade of the dropship, and her body tensed up as she looked between him, and the two that flanked him. He wasn't exactly known for being nice, and Kat had gotten used to people steering clear of her on the Ark, the few times she got to leave her cell. Very few times did that involve other people being around for her to run into. She was always escorted, and cuffed everywhere she went. Her reputation had traveled around the skybox fairly quickly, and while she hated the rep she got, there was some relief to find herself being left alone because of it. No one wanted to mess with her.

"Wow, surprised to see you down here, _Killer_ ," Murphey said jokingly, his lips curling into a cruel smirk.

Kat's nostrils flared at the nickname. No one had ever said it to her face before, but she had heard the rumors, the whispers as she passed the other cells. At her sides, her hands tightened into fists, and she gritted her teeth to bite back her retort. The last thing she needed was to pick a fight with three guys that towered over her in height. Kat was small, standing at 5'5, and barely a hundred pounds dripping wet. She had missed several meals over the last two years; the guards forgetting to feed her most of the time had made her lose what little weight she had to begin with. She was almost sickly looking, the last time she had seen herself, with her bones starting to jut out of her pale skin. There was no way she could take even one of these guys head on. Now maybe if she had the element of surprise, and jumped his back, she might get a few good hits in before he threw her, but even that was unlikely.

"What _Kat_ got your tongue," he added when she hadn't risen to the bait, and the three of them broke out into laughter at his cleaver little joke.

"Wow Murphey, you practice those lines in the mirror?" she asked with a tilt of her head. She could feel a tick starting in her jaw, as her temper flared, and she ground her molars together to keep her voice as neutral as possible. Trying to act calm, when she felt anything but, was an extremely difficult thing to do.

"Shit they sent you down here," a new voice suddenly said, and Kat found her eyes flickering to the fourth person to approach her. _Bellamy_. She knew him as a guard, way back when, but had thought he'd been fired. The guard's uniform he was wearing however, told a different story. At the moment, Bellamy was giving her a cautious look, his hand hovering over the gun he had tucked into the waistband of his pants.

Kat pulled up short at the sight of the weapon, not wanting to get herself shot just because these people were freaked out about her being here. Hell, she was trying to figure out why she'd been sent down here, herself. Unless they truly thought they would die the moment they opened the dropship doors, it made no sense. But with the Chancellor's son Wells, and even Princess Clarke also having been sent to earth with them, told a different story. Kat seriously doubted they finally thought she deserved a second chance. Maybe there had been a mix up, and someone else was supposed to be sent down here instead of her?

"You got a problem with me Bellamy?" Kat asked, her eyes narrowing on the taller man. He was clearly the oldest of the group. In his early twenties, he was young, healthy looking and physically fit. His skin had a natural bronze shade to it, unlike her own pale complexion. He would tan well under these rays, while Kat would most likely burn. His hair was thick, the dark locks curling around his sharp, and handsome features. Being this close to him, for the first time, Kat could see he had a light dusting of freckles across his nose, and cheeks.

"Of course he has a problem with you being here. When did they start pardoning murderers on the Ark?- Weren't you supposed to be floated last week?" Murphey shot back at her, speaking up for Bellamy, before the man could say anything in response to her question.

Something inside of her finally just snapped, and before she could stop herself, Kat lunged across the distance between them. She hauled her arm back, and threw it forward in one fluid motion, punching the smug bastard right in the nose, before anyone was even aware she had reacted to his comment in such a volatile manner.

Over two years in the skybox, and not once had she acted aggressively in that length of time, even when provoked. But then again, the guards were armed with tasers that hurt like a bitch, and that was enough to have her biting her tongue then reacting to their jibing comments.

Strong arms wrapped around her all of a sudden, before she could get to work on scratching Murphy's eyes out with her blunt nails. She quickly found herself being dragged backwards, kicking and screaming to be released, so that she could kick his smug little ass. Bellamy acted a second later to jump between them, when Murphy finally recovered from his initial shock, his hands falling from his bloody nose with a murderous look in his eyes, and started towards her.

"Jesus calm the fuck down," Bellamy hollered at them, putting a hand against Murphy's chest to push him back when he tried to get around him, in order to reach her.

She was seething like a deranged feline, but the strong grip around her stomach tightened and refused to release her. Forcing herself to calm down, Kat went limp in the arms that held her firmly against someone's chest, when she realized that people were staring at her. Her hands gripped at the forearms, her blunt nails biting into the dark skin.

"Let me go Wells," she said through gritted teeth. She doubted anyone else would have tried to stand between her, and Murphy. He seemed stupid enough to put himself in harm's way to stop a fight.

He hesitated at first, but a nod from Bellamy had his arms releasing her, and she slid back to the ground. Her combat boots touched the earth with a dull thump, from her weight dropping almost a foot to the ground. It really sucked being so short compared to anyone else. The only thing she could say for certain was that she was taller than the twelve-year-old, who stood near the back of the crowd that had gathered around to witness the fight.

"I 'fink the bi'ch b'oke my nose," Murphy said nasally, his head tipping back to try, and staunch the bleeding.

Kat tightened her fist, wincing when the grip caused pain to flare up from the knuckles of her right hand. She might have injured herself just as badly in the process, but she couldn't help but gloat inwardly at getting at least one good shot in.

"Just back away Murphy," Wells said from over her head, and Kat turned her narrowed look to the Chancellor's son.

"I can fight my own battles Wells," she snapped at him.

Tipping his head down, Wells just gave her a slightly wide eyed look, when she directed her anger towards him. She could feel her hackles rise at the surprised look on his face. Wells was severely disliked by most of the delinquents, for obvious reasons, as his father was the cause of most people's loved ones getting floated for their crimes. Kat had never lost anyone she knew that way. But knowing her own sentence would have been held in five days by the boy's father had her skin crawling just looking at him.

"Kil-erm, Kat go walk it off," Bellamy suggested, tripping over the nickname, and struggling to call her by her own preferred name. Katarina could be a mouthful, and Kat preferred the shortened version her mother called her when she was younger. "Murphy, you too- go have that nose looked at, or something." Bellamy was looking at Murphy now, keeping his hand raised to keep the boy from trying to get at her again.

Kat shook herself, and jerked away suddenly when Wells tried to reach for her hand to look at the bruise already forming. "Don't touch me!" She yelled at him.

Seeing his startled look, Kat just glared in return before she pushed passed him. She needed to get away from these people. Get away as far, and as quickly as possible. She spent two years locked up in solitary, with only herself, and the guard outside her cell as company. And the guards were never any good company, so she had spent the majority of her time alone. There were just too many damn people here.

Kat ignored the looks the others gave her as she stalked away. She didn't bother to look back, but left the safety of the clearing, and entered the trees, needing room to breathe. The fact that she was on earth with no walls surrounding her, and felt more confined and suffocated, than when she had been in her own cell, was not lost on her.

Putting one foot in front of the other, Kat didn't start to feel some semblance of normalcy, until she could no longer hear the noises back at the dropship. The voices had started to fade away, and the sounds of people setting up camp disappeared altogether. She soon found herself in almost total silence, the only noise being the soft breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees above her head.

With each step away from the ship, she could feel the tension from the fight slowly draining out of her, with her shoulders sagging, and her hands loosening. Breathing out a soft breath of air, Kat stopped walking, and just closed her eyes, letting herself relax now that she was truly alone. However, the longer she stood there in the silence, surrounded by tall grass and trees, she felt goosebumps form along her skin, and the fine hairs at the back of her neck started to stand up.

Opening her eyes, Kat turned her head, half expecting to see Murphy or possibly Wells standing there, staring at her. Only there was no one there, when she turned to face the way back to the dropship. She had the uncanny feeling that she was being watched, though. Turning around again, she scanned the trees, still expecting to find that Murphy hadn't listened to Bellamy, and had chased her out here to get his revenge.

 _No one._

There was no one was out here with her. Shaking the weird feeling off for now, Kat started walking again. She was just feeling jumpy after the run in before, and being in a different place other than her cell. That was all. She meandered her way through the trees, her eyes looking mostly at the ground rather than where she was going. Before she had been locked up, Kat had specialized in plants and animals in her Earth Skills class. She couldn't track like Finn or heal wounds like Clarke could, but she knew what plants were safe to eat, and which ones were poisonous from touch alone. She knew how to protect herself from most animals and where most would migrate to, through the seasons. Right now, she was looking for berries or nuts that would be safe to eat. She couldn't recall the last time she ate, and the small ache in her belly was taking precedence over the pain she felt in her bruised knuckles after punching Murphy.

It was by only chance and perhaps a little luck that she had swept her gaze across the overgrown grass, in that direction, at the right time, that she noticed something under the tall grass. Curiosity getting the better of her, Kat moved towards the object, and knelt down to sweep away the dried grass to see what looked like a hatch, or door of some sort.

"Hmm," she hummed under her breath, and reached for the handle experimentally. With a struggled heave, the rusted door came free, and she managed to pry it wide open. Looking in, all she could see was darkness, and a ladder that descended down into its depths. She couldn't hear anything other than the skittering of small creatures that traveled across the trees; most likely birds or squirrels, even though she couldn't see them to know that for sure.

Kat stepped down onto the top rung of the ladder, and slowly lowered herself down inside. She moved slowly, not wanting to slip and fall, as she didn't known how deep the bunker went. After a few steps though, she found herself touching the ground, and she pulled away from the ladder to look around. Inside the bunker, it was dusty with a chill in the air that went right down to her bones that made them ache almost immediately. With the little light filtering in from the opening above, Kat could make out some old furniture, several boxes, and other random items that had been packed and stored inside.

 _No bodies at least…_ _So, either the owners never made it here before the bombs, or they got out after it was safe to leave._ She wondered briefly if that meant there could be people living on earth. It could be possible, but Kat didn't know for sure. As far as everyone on the Ark knew, the Armageddon that had destroyed all life on earth had done just that. If the blasts hadn't done it, the radiation would have been the final nail on the coffin for anyone on the surface. _But some life had survived. Or at least came back from evolution or whatever. So anything was possible right?_ The squirrels and birds she had heard were indication of that.

Kat reached the end of the bunker, and there was little light for her to see all the way back there. The toe of her boot connected with something, nearly tripping her in the process. Cursing under her breath, she managed to brace herself on the wall before she fell over. Looking down at her feet to see what tripped her, she spied an old milk crate.

Dropping down into a crouch, she pulled the box out more towards the light, and reached inside to see what she had found. She pulled out photos first, picture frames that were clearly old, if the layers of dust were anything to go by. One was of two kids, brother and sister she assumed, as their features made them look similar. Next she pulled out a book, the cover an old leather-bound one with a clasp. She unhooked the clasp, and opened the book to find blank pages inside. It looked hardly used, and Kat pressed her lips together in thought.

It wasn't like they would miss it, if she helped herself right? There was a small pencil tucked into the crease that had a sharpened point to it. Her lips curled up into a half smile at the notion that she could practice her drawing after going so long without. She hadn't been really great at it to begin with, since she needed a subject in order to draw anything decently. She couldn't draw from memory, which was something she hated about her skills being so limited, but it would at least take her mind off things.

Closing the book, she locked the clasp, before heading back towards the ladder. She had taken two steps toward it, when she realized there was a shadow blocking out most of the light from the opened hatch. Kat froze, and her breath hitched sharply as she stared up towards the top of the ladder. She was too far back to see what was near the opening, but whatever it was, its body was large enough to cut out any light from getting inside.

"Hello," she called out, wondering if whoever it was might just shut the hatch on her, and lock her inside the bunker. It wasn't like anyone would notice she was missing, or anything.

Before she could dwell on that worry for too long, the shadow moved, and disappeared all of a sudden. She couldn't even hear whoever it was run off, as only silence followed their departure. Racing forward, Kat jumped to the ladder, and climbed up the several rungs to poke her head out through the opening. She swiveled around, looking to see who had been there just seconds ago.

 _No one._

 _No one was there._

Kat slowly climbed out of the bunker, and closed the lid carefully, before she straightened. She clutched the book she found to her chest, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the trees. She still couldn't make out any shapes, like someone might have been hiding behind one of the tree trunks. It looked like she was alone, but Kat didn't feel like she was alone. She had that impression that someone was watching her, only she couldn't tell from where, or who.

"Ha- ha- very funny Murphy," she snapped, figuring it had to be him, who was messing with her. He probably had ducked behind a tree so that he could spook her. Shaking her head, Kat turned away from the bunker, and started walking in the direction she had been going earlier. The last thing she wanted was to go back to the dropship, and see Murphy smirking at her for having scared her. She didn't think she could keep herself calm if she saw him so soon. And she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he _had_ spooked her.

As she walked, the trees started to thin out more and more, and soon Kat found herself in a clearing much larger than the one the dropship had landed in. Looking around, she couldn't help the smile that played on her features. It was breath taking. She could see the mountains that surrounded the area much better from here across the field she stood in. The grass was longer, and a dried out yellow color from the lack of rainfall, and shade. Across the field she could make out more trees, but this was as far as she was willing to travel alone from the dropship. Lowering herself to the ground, Kat rested up against a tree, and sat in the grass, letting the sun warm her chilled form.

It was beautiful. The sky was clear with sparse white fluffy clouds, that made shapes the longer she stared at them. The sun hung high above, telling her that several hours had passed since she started her journey. She wouldn't have been surprised to learn that it was late in the afternoon already.

Kat pulled her legs up, her knees bending so that she could prop her book against the backs of her thighs. She unhooked the clasp, and opened the book to its first page. Taking out the pencil next, she gently tapped the lead to the page, contemplating on what she wanted to draw. Looking out, her eyes took in the wild flowers that mixed in with the tall grass. It took her a few attempts, her bruised knuckles protesting the movements, when she placed the lead to the paper and started to draw. Flexing her fingers, she tried again, and soon her hand was moving the pencil across the page fluidly.

She spent the next several hours sitting in the same spot, drawing the landscape before her. She did one at her eye level from where she sat, and another was of the mountain range. After a while, her stillness seemed to lure out the few animals that lived in the woods from their hiding places. Kat witnessed a squirrel for the first time, checking the forest floor for nuts. Its fur was light brown and thick, but the unusual thing about it was the two long tails instead of one. It had some birth deformity that had her drawing the animal on the next blank page she found in her sketchbook.

The longer she sat out in the sun, the more her skin started to feel tight, and itchy on her face, and neck. Pretty much anywhere that wasn't covered by her clothes. The backs of her hands were red, and Kat grimaced when she realized she was sunburned. The notion had her chuckling, as she never thought that would ever happen, but knew the amusement would be short lived once the pain settled in.

Reluctantly getting to her feet, Kat closed her book, and put away the pencil, before making her way back to the dropship. She followed the trail she made on her way out here, retracing her steps rather easily.

It was dark by the time she reached the ship, and her skin was hot, and uncomfortable from the sunburn already. Grumbling under her breath, she searched the camp to find people settling down in makeshift tents made from the parachute. Having slacked off all day, had made it so that she had nothing to use for cover for the night. Her stomach suddenly took that moment to growl, also reminding her that she had forgotten to eat anything all day. Wincing, she pressed a hand to her belly, trying to silence the sound.

"Hey Kat."

Looking up sharply, Kat found Wells standing near the dropship, having come out of it just moments after she returned. "Have you eaten at all today?" He asked, his eyes dropping down to her stomach as it made another noise of protest.

Kat was tense as she looked at him, not really understanding why he was bothering to be nice to her. No one was nice to her, why would he? They either hated her, or they feared her.

"What do you want Wells," she asked, looking at him tiredly. She was too drained to fight with him, with exhaustion from the day's events wearing her down.

"I don't want anything-" he said defensively, his features twisting in annoyance. At her tired expression however, he sighed softly and washed his face with one hand. "Just- here."

If he wasn't the Chancellor's son, Kat would almost think him handsome, as she saw a lot of his father in his features. His skin was like a smooth dark chocolate color. _Bet he doesn't burn_ , she mused to herself as she absently scratched the back of her hand and then winced due to the burn there. His face was chiseled with hard lines, but as he looked at her, they seemed soft and could she say, caring as he looked at her right at that moment. His eyes appeared nearly black with the light coming from the bon fire set up in the center of camp behind her, casting them both in shadows.

Kat looked down at what he held out to her, and saw a handful of nuts and berries in the palm of his large hand. Her stomach clenched, and ached at the sight of the edible food. At least one of them had thought ahead.

"Why are you offering me your food," she asked wearily. She knew he wasn't cruel like many others she had the displeasure of meeting, but even so, they didn't exactly run in the same circles, even before her incarceration. He and the Princess were tight back then, and Kat had been the low man on the totem pole when it came to group dynamics back on the Ark.

"Because you haven't eaten all day, and from the sounds of your stomach, you could use it more than me," he answered honestly.

Kat licked her lips, weighing the options. In the end her hunger won out, and she held out her hand to him, and let him drop the food into her open palm. Some spilled out onto the ground, but she managed to save most of them, and cupped it close to her chest to keep from losing any more. "Thanks," she said, meaning it. She wasn't completely heartless, no matter what anyone said.

Wells nodded his head, and jerked a thumb towards a pile of objects near the dropship doors. Looking in that direction, she noticed what looked like one of the seats had been laid out into a makeshift bed. "I'm going to be up for a bit, if you want to try and get some sleep," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. He then turned from her, and headed towards the fire pit.

Kat turned on her heels to watch him walk away. As much as she wanted to hate the guy, it was kind of hard. _It not like he's the Chancellor right_ , her mind tried to reason with her. _It wasn't his fault who his father was, or what his father did._

Kat picked up a berry and popped it into her mouth as she walked to the broken chair. It had been one of the ones fastened to the wall of the ship. It would be much more comfortable than the ground that was for sure. With a small pained noise, she lowered herself down till she sat on the seat. Her skin felt tight, her muscles that were used to a workout of mostly pacing an eight by five foot cell every day, ached something fierce from having just walked over a mile. As she sat there, Kat inhaled her food, hardly bothering to chew before swallowing.

She had dropped her book to the ground beside the chair, and despite her exhaustion, couldn't bring herself to fall asleep just yet. Since she returned to the camp, she hadn't seen neither hide, nor hair of Murphy, but that did not mean he wasn't lurking somewhere. Getting up, Kat dusted herself off. She needed to find something she could use to defend herself with.

Anything would work, though she wouldn't mind having Bellamy's gun for protection, that being her first choice, but the least likely that she would be able to attain. As she walked back, and forth around the dropship, she spied what she was looking for, it being a broken piece of the metal framing from the wreckage. Picking it up from its place on the ground, she inspected the item. It was about five inches long, about two inches wide, and jagged on one end. A little work, and it would make a nice little shiv she could keep hidden in her boot, for just in case purposes.

Kat looked over at Wells, to see that he was still preoccupied with watching some of the other delinquents. She had the impression that he was trying to keep an eye out on her behalf, but she shook her head of the thought. That was absurd.

Grabbing the chair, she proceeded to move the makeshift bed closer to the ramp of the dropship. She collected her book, and laid it under the ramp, and out of sight; just as a precaution in case it rained during the night. Kat laid down on the bed then, being mindful of the jagged piece of metal in her hand. She propped herself up on her side, and went to work on methodically dragging the jagged end of the metal against the sharpened edge of the ramp. She kept her movements slow, and precise, so as to not draw any unwanted attention to herself.

No one seemed to notice her sharpening the metal into a point, late into the night.

* * *

 _ **AN: ~Revised 1/17/17~**_

 _ **I just want to thank everyone who Favorited/Followed and Reviewed for this story. Thank you ^^**_

 _ **So we finally met Katarina, so please tell me what you think of her. She's a bit of a spitfire, and is lacking some people skills. You might have started to realize why this story is called Rumors. But anyway, please tell me what you think of it so far.**_

 _ **Do you like/love/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out**_


	3. Chapter Two

**Rumors**

 **Chapter Two**

Lincoln waited late into the night before he dropped down from his perch in the trees. He had waited until everyone had settled down to sleep, and the fire light had died out, before he dared to enter the camp. He crept passed the multitude of bodies, that lay curled up in the flattened grass near the fire pit in hopes of keeping warm. He maneuvered around them, his steps silent, and his breathing even. He paused near one body, recognizing him as the male, the sky people had referred to as Wells. He didn't know the story behind why everyone treated the man so rudely, but he had seen the male try to treat the others kinder, than how they treated him in return.

Moving on, he snuck up onto the ramp, and slipped inside the spacecraft. It was quiet, except for the occasional snore from those that were sleeping inside the shelter. He looked around him, searching for any sign of what weapons they had brought to earth with them. He found none on the first and second level of the ship. So far, he had only seen a few knives the sky people had made from the wreckage, and the one gun the leader carried with him at all times.

They were defenseless.

Indra would want to hear about this right away, so that they could take the sky people by surprise, and be rid of the threat. Leaving the dropship, Lincoln looked out to make sure no one had woken up, while he was inside searching it. Everything was as he left it, and there was still some time left, before the sun would rise. As he eased down the ramp, the slight shift of a body next to the ramp, had him stilling, waiting to see if they would wake. His dark eyes looked over to see the girl he had heard the others refer to as Kat, though some had even called her _Killer_ , laying there.

The majority of his day, after returning to watch the sky people, had been spent following the girl around. He had gotten back to the dropship in time to see her punch the one they called Murphy. Her behavior had been rather volatile, and he had found himself intrigued by her after she had left the camp. Despite his directive to watch the sky people as a whole, he had followed her through the trees instead. Remembering the book she had been working on in the meadow, he moved down the ramp, and crept up to her side. He hadn't been able to get close enough at the time, to see what she had been doing with the book without alerting her to his presence.

Looking her over while she slept now, he noted that she looked even smaller up close. She was curled up on her side, with her arms tucked around her legs to try and help hold in her body heat. It seemed that none of the sky people had proper shelter, or protective clothing for the coming winter. If the animals didn't get to them, the drop in temperature in the coming months, would most definitely do the job of exterminating them.

Lincoln braced himself on the edge of the ramp, the metal biting into the palm of his hand, and his brows furrowed in surprise at the sharpness of it. Looking closer, he realized that part of it had been worn down, and was jagged in one place. Unsure what had caused the groove; he adjusted his grip to hold onto the smoother metal frame before he leaned in so that he hovered over the girl's body, and reached in for the book he saw hidden beneath the ramp. Carefully withdrawing it from its hiding place, he pulled back from her then, and moved back several paces to put some distance between them. He briefly glanced at her, before turning his attention back to the book in his hands.

He stayed crouched, just in case he had to quickly dart off if someone woke, but in the end, as no one stirred within the darkness of the camp, he settled down as comfortably into the position as he could. Unhooking the clasp, he pulled it free, and slowly opened the book. The pages crinkled together, making a soft sound that had the girl near him shifting in her bed, but not waking. He watched her for a minute longer to make sure she would not wake, before he returned his attention back to the book in his hands. He flipped through the blank pages, before stopping at one of the sketches she had made. The first one he found was a rather well likeness of Mount Weather. The next and few after it were of the meadow with real attention to detail to each blade of grass, or the petals on the wild flowers that grew there. He found the drawing of a squirrel, but it was the last drawing that made him pause.

A pair of dark eyes, narrowed as if staring with great concentration at the artist. His brows furrowed as he stared at them, and couldn't help but think the likeness of the narrowed look, and darkened shadowing around them, reminded him of his own painted features. If the shading wasn't that, but of the paint he wore around his eyes, nose and cheeks... then that would mean she had seen him.

If that was the case, then why hadn't she reacted to the sight of him? Or told anyone for that matter? Lincoln closed the book and turned his gaze to the female. She was still fast asleep, with her body trembling slightly from the chilled air. He contemplated on killing her right then. If she knew he existed she would inform the others, and that could pose as a problem. _She hasn't yet_. It had been hours since the meadow, since she had noticed his shadow outside the bunker. There was a small chance she wasn't even aware she had seen him.

A tick started in his jaw, making the left side twitching as he debated on what he should do with her. His dark eyes dropped to the book in his hands, and he knew what Indra would expect him to do. Kill her and get rid of the evidence. He knew it was what was best for his people. His eyes shifted to the sleeping girl. She hardly moved since he had come upon her. She would tighten her hold around her legs when a cold breeze blew over, only to relax back into sleep when it passed. Her dark red hair was fanned out behind her, and his fingers itched to touch the unique color.

Lincoln fastened the clasp silently, and slipped the book into the folds of his coat for safe keeping. He knew what he had to do, but a part of him warred with the idea, and he found himself straightening up into a standing position.

It was at that moment when he heard the sky people inside the dropship stirring, slowly rousing to the warmth, and brightness of the sunrise creeping in through the trees. Stepping back, Lincoln slipped out of the camp the same way he had snuck in, and darted back into the line of trees. Safe within the forest, he scaled up into the limbs of the tree he had used to watch the group the day before, and retook his perch where he had left his bow and quiver of arrows. Settling against the trunk, and sure that he was safety hidden high up in the limbs, Lincoln finally let himself relax just enough to catch a few hours of sleep.

 **OoOoO**

Kat woke to the sounds of life around the camp, as the delinquents went about a second day of celebrating their freedom. As if yesterday wasn't enough time to party. Her eyes felt thick, her vision cloudy as she lifted her head from the crook of her arm she had used as a pillow.

She made a pained noise as her muscles screamed at the action, her body aching in places she hadn't known existed until the moment she tried to move. Her face was flushed with a rosy hue due to being sunburned, and she had a feeling in a day or two she would be peeling something horrible.

Kat pushed herself up into a seated position, dropping her face into her hands, and gently rubbed her eyes to rid them of the crusties that had formed there overnight. She really needed a shower, or a bath, or maybe even just hosed off would be nice. She felt gross. Her two day old clothes clung to her sweaty skin, and she worried about lifting her arms, and smelling her own B.O. Not to mention the taste in her mouth was something foul all on its own.

Turning in her place, she looked behind her, and tried reaching back for the sketch book she hid under the ramp. Her hands padded along the grass, coming up empty. Furrowing her brows, she turned onto her hands and knees on the bed, and tried reaching further in.

Still nothing.

 _Where the hell-_ She shoved her bed out of her way then, and crouched low to see under the ramp. _Gone_. Like it had never even existed. If her fingers hadn't still been smudged with pencil lead, from using her pinky to blend in the shading, she would almost think she dreamt the entire thing.

"Looking for something?" Wells asked her, after seeing her scouring the underside of the ramp for the last ten minutes. He'd admit he found himself curious, and had decided to approach her, even if it meant getting his head bit off in the process.

Gritting her teeth, Kat scrambled to her feet, and whirled around to face him. The first thing Wells noticed was the pink hue to her nose and cheeks, making the light freckles there stand out more prominently.

"Where is it?" she all but hissed at him.

Her blue green eyes were narrowed on him, and he found himself taking a cautious step back from her. Despite being a foot shorter than him, her heated stare had him a little worried. He did see her throw herself at Murphy the day before, so he knew she wasn't to be trifled with. But for the life of him, he could not think what he had done to piss her off today.

"Where is what?" he asked her carefully.

"My book Wells, don't play stupid. I had it last night and put it under the ramp before I fell asleep. You're the only one who knew I had it- So where is it?" She threw at him, crossing the short distance between them to get up in his personal space. She had to crane her head back to look at him, but that didn't seem to take away at how intimidating she was for so early in the morning.

"Kat- I seriously have no idea what you're talking about. What book?" he asked, his hands coming up as a peace offering between them.

"Lover's quarrel already…? So, I guess that means the honeymoons over," Murphy said from over Kat's shoulder. Of course, he had to butt into the conversation, and throw his weight around.

Wells lifted his head, his eyes narrowing on the other boy. Murphy was shorter than Wells, but only by a few inches with shaggy brown hair slicked back from his hawkish features.

Kat visibly stiffened at Murphy's words, but she pivoted on her heels, her face darkening as she zeroed in on him. "Murphy where is my book!" she demanded, switching the blame to the more likely culprit. This was how he was going to get revenge. She hadn't given him the satisfaction of showing him the stunt he pulled yesterday rattled her, so he had to go and take her stuff.

Murphy sneered down at her, his lips quirking into a smirk. "Even if I knew where your stupid book was, why would I tell you," he asked, his arms crossing over his chest as he gloated in her misery.

Kat moved to throw herself at him again, but Wells was faster, and his strong arms curled around her waist, pulling her back from Murphy who had leapt away to avoid her reaching hands. "Jesus you're a freak," Murphy snapped at her, taking another cautious step back, in case she broke free, and went after him again.

"Kat you need to calm down," Wells said, pulling her further away from Murphy in hopes of helping her calm down if the other boy was out of her sights. The few people who were awake, were watching the three of them, and some of the looks they were giving Kat, had him concerned.

Enraged at his nerve to tell her to calm down, Kat elbowed him as hard as she could, with her right arm jerking back into his gut with their close proximity. The grunt and immediate release of his arms around her, had her whirling around to face him. He was doubled over, with his hands clutching the area she had hit him with her bony elbow.

"Why? What are they going to do to me Wells, float me?" she asked crudely, not caring if her words hurt as much as her elbow had.

Wells froze at her words, his jaw tightening and he looked away from her. He slowly straightened from his bent over position, but his hand still held firmly against the sore spot on his stomach. He had to take a moment to calm himself down, and not rise to the bait. She was just pushing him.

Kat would admit that the look on his face did make her feel somewhat guilty. Her mind tried to tell her again, that it wasn't Wells' fault. But it was hard to see passed his name, and who his father was sometimes. Or most of the time. She felt her temper dwindle as her breath released on a deep sigh. Her hands reach up to grip fistfuls of her hair on either side of her head, feeling frustrated. She just wanted her damn book back, and to be left alone. Was that too much to ask?

She dropped her hands as she watched him turn slightly away from her. She had to remind herself, he was only trying to help, even if she hadn't asked for it. Kat was about to apologize, something she didn't do well, when her eyes notice that the arm he used to rub the sore spot she caused with her elbow, was bare. Her brows pinch together, and her eyes move to the wristband around her own wrist, the same one all of the one hundred had been given when thrown onto the dropship. Lowering her arms, she tugged at her own; the thick metal band was held pretty secure there, and didn't look like it would come off easily.

"Where's your wristband," she asked him, and Wells frowned at the sudden change in subject. He looks down at his bare wrist, the skin slightly raw, and bruised from having the band broken off against his will the night before.

"Bellamy," he muttered, and he cast a dark look to their ragtag leader.

Not following, Kat turned to look at the man as well. "Yea what about him?" she asked, not getting the correlation between the two.

"He's got everyone convinced that they need to take it off. That way, everyone on the Ark will think we're dead and they won't send anyone else down here," he said.

Kat made a face. "So you took yours off? Weren't you and your dad tight?" she asked him.

Wells looked down, his hand tightening into a fist, and he just glared at the ground. "I wasn't given much of a choice," was his answer.

Kat looked down at her own band, considering the information she had just learned. If she had hers taken off, then everyone would think she was dead too. Including her mom. Her eyes narrowed on the band, her teeth gritting as painful memories started to rise. The ache in her chest had tears stinging her eyes, and she breathed in harshly through her nose to try and calm down the painful emotions that wanted to surface at the thought of her mom.

"Maybe that's a good thing," she muttered mostly to herself.

Startled, Wells looked over at her, his expression one of surprise. "What? And have your mom thinking you died," he asked, not believing she could want to do something so cruel.

"Wouldn't be much different, my mom's been considering me dead for years… and I'm supposed to die in four days anyway, so why not bring her closure a little sooner right," she said, throwing her arms out as she walked away from him. She crossed the clearing to where Bellamy was standing with a boy she didn't know very well. Adam or something. It was hard to keep everyone's names straight these days.

Noticing her approach, Bellamy moved his hand to the gun at his hip, his thumb playing over the hammer as a mild warning to not do anything funny. The fact that people found her intimidating was comical.

"Cool your jets," she said, and held out her wrist with the band towards him. "I just want to join the band wagon of your motley crew of misfits."

Bellamy lifted a brow at her words, his eyes looking down briefly at the band, before looking her in the eyes again. "Really? I figured Wells would have talked you out of it," he said in a casual tone. The boy next to him was looking at her now, his brows raised only slightly, as if he just realized who she was, and considered on making a run for it.

"He's not my keeper, and I'm old enough to make my own decisions thank you very much. Now are you going to take this thing off, or not," she asked him.

Bellamy stared at her for a moment longer, before his lips quirked up in amusement. "Yea… let's take it off. Atom-" he echoed her words, before turning to the boy next to him to get the tool they had been using to pry the wristbands off of the other kids. It looked like a crowbar, and as they laid out her arm on a log, Kat only had a moment to think, _this is going to hurt_ , before they wedged the bar between the band and her wrist, and wrenched it loose.

She gritted her teeth, hissing in pain as the bar bit into her skin, but it only took one good pull for the band to break open. Standing back, she let the band fall to the ever-growing pile, and rubbed her wrist. The skin was scrapped red, and already a bruise was forming, but it felt good to have the heavy weight gone.

"Thanks," she muttered in Bellamy's direction before she was turning on her heels to walk away.

However she had only gotten a few feet, before Bellamy pulled her to a stop. "Hey Kat, wait up," he said with a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, finding him to have a serious expression on his face, that had her tensing up. "There's been some complaints about your behavior, so I just want to give you a heads up - if you don't calm the fuck down, we'll lock you up in an earth version of the skybox," he said in a matter of fact tone.

Kat's eyes widen, and her back straightened at the idle threat. He just nodded his head to her, his hand dropping away from her shoulder then, before he went back to join Atom. Kat stood there for a long moment, her hands slightly shaking at her sides. Realizing this, she crossed her arms over her chest, and tucked her them into the pits of her arms, to hide the small tell that his words had shaken her.

 _An earth version of the skybox,_ her mind echoed the words. She visibly shuddered at the idea. She was just getting used to her new-found freedom, used to the room to move, the fresh air, and the warm sunlight. She didn't want to get locked up, not when she was starting to feel almost human again.

Her face pinched with pain, and she ducked her head so that no one could see the expression. She headed for the edge of camp, wanting to get out of there, and think. She needed to get herself under control.

Kat walked outside the camp, studiously ignoring the looks Wells had been directing her way, since Bellamy gave her the bad news. He had looked like he wanted to approach her, and Kat had made it quite obvious she wanted to be alone by side stepping him, and walked away without a word.

Now standing in the forest, she wanted more than anything to punch something, and either Bellamy's or Murphy's face would do just fine as her punching bag. "That's not how you keep your cool, Kat," she muttered under her breath. She bent down and slipping her thumb and index finger into the side of her boot, she pulled out the shiv she had made last night. It had taken her a few hours to get it to a fine point, but the weapon would do just nicely if she ever needed to defend herself.

Kat paused beside a tree that was about an arm's length around, and so tall she could barely look up through the branches to tell just how far it reached. She had been meaning to do this since yesterday, but had lost track of time.

Crouching down, she took the tip of the blade, and carved a single line down about three inches long. She made it about a centimeter thick, making sure the marking stood out in the bark, so that she could find it again.

 _One day._

"Four more to go," she said mostly to herself. Four more days till her birthday, not that she had been really looking forward to turning eighteen in the last two years. It had become a ritual of sorts, her way of keeping track of time as it passed. A countdown to her end. Her cell back on the skybox had been covered in similar marks, from as far as she could reach to the floor, line after line, counting each day she spent locked up, alone and forgotten.

Standing back up, Kat slipped the weapon back into her boot for safe keeping, her sock protecting her heel from the sharpened edge. Kat turned back, and headed to the camp as the elevated noise coming from its center, drew her attention. She stepped up next to Wells, her arms crossing over her chest to take in the scouting party that had just returned.

Princess Clarke, Finn and Bellamy's sister Octavia looked winded, and slightly hysterical as they described the events that unfolded on their way to Mount Weather. Kat didn't really know the three very well. Finn, she remembered from one of her old classes when she was still in school, and that he had specialized in tracking in Earth Skills, if she remembered correctly. He was a bit stocky, and not as tall as Wells and Bellamy, but he was still attractive in his own way. His hair was a bit on the longer side, the dark brown strands slicked back from his face, and curling just slightly near his shoulders in length.

Clarke, she knew mostly in passing. Clarke's mother was the Chief Medical examiner back on the Ark, and that was the only reason why Kat knew much of anything about Clarke's medical skills. Whether they were good or not, was still up for debate. Clarke was your typical beauty though, with long curly blonde hair and blue eyes, and fair skin. She had a face that drew people's attention to her. Mostly the male variety, if the looks Wells, Bellamy, and Finn kept giving her since they had landed on earth, were anything to go by.

Kat never met Octavia, but figured that was because she had been in hiding most of her life, and by the time the Council had learned of the girl's existence, Kat had already been placed in solitary. Their paths had never crossed before being sent to earth. In another life, Kat could have seen them getting along, maybe. The girl was a spitfire, quick to temper like Kat was, but more reactive, if that was even possible. Octavia had a more earthly look to her, and out of all of them, she looked more suited to life on earth. Her long black hair fell to the small of her back, and she kept the strands always loose and free. She had the same dusting of freckles, and dark complexion that her brother did.

Kat pursed her lips, as she looked between Octavia and Clarke, seeing that they could have been frenemies if this was high school, while Kat would have been the social outcast. Kat wasn't ugly, but she wasn't exactly pretty enough to be part of the _In-Crowd_.

Bellamy was quick to rush towards his sister, seeing that she was favoring her leg that had been bandaged. While they talked, Clarke and Finn started talking about heading back out to help the boy that had been taken.

"Clarke says there are people out there," Wells suddenly said out loud, startling her. Kat had forgotten he was even there. She tipped her head up, and looked at him curiously.

"You mean like other than us," she asked, mostly just to clarify that she understood him right.

Wells nodded his head, his eyes looking between Clarke and Finn. They were trying to band a group together to go out and rescue Jasper. _The boy that had been taken_. Kat didn't recognize the name, so she couldn't place a face to it. "Apparently they were attacked when trying to cross the river to Mount Weather. Whoever attacked them, used a spear, and then took Jasper. They think he's still alive though," he added softly, speaking mostly to her so that the others wouldn't overhear them. "They're wanting to go rescue Jasper- you should go." Wells looked over at her as he said the last part, his expression serious.

Kat really didn't need his opinion on what she should, or should not do. She had already been thinking about offering to go. It wouldn't hurt to make herself look useful, instead of expendable. She could look for plants that could be made into antibiotics, and such along the way. She hadn't seen any near the camp, and knew she would have to extend her range of search to find anything of use. Now would be a good chance as any, to show off her own skills.

Wells clapped a hand on her shoulder, jostling her from her thoughts once more, before he made his way over to Clarke now that she and Finn weren't having a private conversation. Kat looked between Wells and Clarke, seeing the animosity the blonde held for the boy, and wondered if it was because of his father, or something more? Clarke looked her way suddenly, and Kat felt her cheeks redden when she realized they were talking about her.

 _Great…_

Apparently Wells was adamant on her going along on this rescue mission. Turning away from the pair, Kat looked out into the trees, her lips pressing into a thin line as she squinted. It was like she was searching for one of them out there in the trees. Of course, all she could see were trees that made up the dense forest that surrounded them. It wasn't like there was a neon sign that pointed to these so called 'grounders', that everyone was referring the humans that had survived ninety-seven years on earth.

She had to wonder though, if there was one out there right now, watching them. Watching and waiting. For what, Kat really didn't know. Their camp was pretty vulnerable right now, but soon they would have walls and weapons, if what Bellamy was directing the others to do, was actually going to happen. It wouldn't be long before their camp became a fortress.

Hidden within the trees, and clearly out of sight, Lincoln froze in place as the girl named Kat, seemed to look right at him. Deep down, he knew that she couldn't see him, but the intense look in her searching gaze, almost had him believing otherwise.

It wasn't until she finally turned away, seemingly giving up on her search for him, that he actually let himself breathe freely again. He slowly eased back against the tree trunk then, and continued to watch the group as they made plans to protect themselves.

* * *

 _ **AN: ~Revised 1/18/17~**_

 _ **Hello again! Hope all has been well with you guys and gals. Well here is chapter 2 and I hope it is all to your liking. We get to learn a little more about Kat and see more of Wells' strange protectiveness over her. A little more insight on Lincoln too ^^ Please let me know what you think.**_

 _ **Did you like/love/hate it? And what do you think of Kat so far?**_

 _ **Inky out.**_


	4. Chapter Three

**Rumors**

 **Chapter three**

Kat waited until whatever conversation Wells and Clarke were having, to come to an end, before she approached the other girl. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She wasn't used to putting herself out there, but here she was, offering to help. Trying to change, and see if she might be able to fit in somewhere. If it was with any one, a bunch of delinquents would be her best bet of blending in, right?

 _Probably not._ Her crimes seemed to put her at a different level than the others. Sure, there were other murderers in the group, she wasn't the only one, but hers was more personal, which seemed to make her more dangerous according to the Council. Her only saving grace had been that she was barely fifteen, and the Council, didn't feel right floating a kid so young, despite the crime. Who knew the Council had moral standard, when they would easily float an adult for stealing food, or medicine to help their sick, or starving kid?

"Hey- uh Clarke," Kat started off nervously, when the girl had turned around, and had been planning on heading over to Bellamy to enlist in his help.

The blonde hesitated, her expression guarded as she looked Kat over cautiously. Like she was evaluating her to see if she was a threat or not. Sighing, Kat ran her fingers through her loose hair, only to have them catch on the knots she hadn't been able to brush out in over two days. She was starting to miss her cell, and all the luxuries it came with being incarcerated. At least then she was able to keep up with her hygiene.

"Hey Mason," Clarke said carefully, referring to her last name.

 _Well that didn't bode well,_ Kat mused to herself. For one, that Clarke knew her last name when many didn't wasn't a good thing, and two, that would also mean she knew her first name and had decided not to call her by her by it to keep things impersonal.

"I could help-" Kat plowed on, figuring it was like a Band-Aid, you just need to rip it off and get it over with. "With finding Jasper I mean. Well I can't track him or anything… but I can find plants that can help him. And I figured, I could tag along with you guys, since I haven't been able to find anything near camp so far." Kat sucked in a breath, feeling winded from the words she had just sort of thrown together in hopes of making her offer as appealing as possible.

Clarke stared at her for a moment, her brows pushed together and her lips pursed. Wells had just tried to convince her to take the red head with them to find Jasper, not even two minutes ago. She had already turned him down on the idea. Why would they want to bring someone who was famous for killing her own father? Plus, there was the fact that Wells wanted the girl to come along, and it made Clarke dislike her all the more. She had seen the two of them talking earlier and she got the impression that they were close.

"Actually Mason, we already have Wells coming with us, and he knows what kind of plants we need. We don't want to have a large group coming- so you understand, right," she explained as carefully as she could. Clarke wasn't sure what might set the other girl off.

Kat's brows pinched together, and at her sides her hands tightened into fists. She wanted to punch Clarke, as hard as she could. Just to wipe that apologetic, and guilty expression off her face. Kat knew she was lying about the reason why she didn't want her coming. As much as it bothered her to be excluded, and rejected by the princess under false pretenses, it just pissed her off more. She would have rather had the other girl just tell her the truth, and be done with it. Why bother trying to sugar coat it?

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth, and turned on her heels to stomp off in the other direction. The only thing that kept her from actually following through with punching the Princess was Bellamy's words. A single warning that if she didn't behave herself she would get locked up. So instead she vented her anger by cursing Clarke every foul name she could think of within the walls of her own mind. And then cursing Wells for good measure too. If he was so good with plants, why would he tell her to go with them? Did he want her to make a fool of herself? Had that been what he was playing at? She really hadn't pegged him for one who liked that sort of thing, playing mind games with people.

Kat stopped near the dropship, looking back as Clarke, Murphy, Bellamy and Wells as they headed off to go save Jasper. Finn jumped down from the ramp, and jogged after them, having been left behind. Kat crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to let it show that the fact that they had chosen Murphy over her, bothered her as much as it did.

Kat waited until the group was gone, before she couldn't handle just standing there anymore. Any time she looked around, it seemed like everyone was staring at her, only to look away the moment she caught them looking. As if everyone was talking about " _Killer_." The delinquents that were left at the camp, split into different groups then, now that the show was over. A group left to collect food, and another went off to gather wood. The ones that had been left behind got to work on building the wall. Everyone was keeping busy, or so it would seem.

Sighing to herself, Kat decided she needed to go for a walk, and left the camp in search of the bunker she had found the day before. She found it easier this time, remembering the direction it had been in regards to the dropship, helped. Opening the hatch, she descended down into the bunker, not bothering to make sure if it was clear first, like she had the first time. If the grounders wanted her, they could have her. Right now she really didn't care.

Inside, Kat crossed her arms over her chest to fight back a chill. It seemed colder down here today than it had yesterday. Moving from the opening, Kat searched through the shelves and crates that lined the walls. She took her time now, not feeling rushed to go anywhere as she searched for things she could use. A shelf near the ladder proved to be fruitful, as the owner's camping gear caught her eye. She found a propane lantern with no propane, a tent and a sleeping bag.

"Nice," she said mostly to herself, thinking her luck was finally turning around.

Collecting the items, she slung the strap on the tent bag over her shoulder, and gripped the lantern in one hand carefully and the sleeping bad in the other. Getting out, was tricky, and took some juggling, but Kat managed to climb out of the bunker in one trip with all of her items reasonably intact. The sleeping bag might have a little tear, but she wasn't worried about it.

Closing the hatch behind her, Kat made the trip back to camp in reasonable time. The sun was up in the sky, its rays beating down on the group as they worked in the clearing they had laid claim to. They had gotten one section of the wall up already, and with the limited resources they had, were making pretty good time on building it.

Kat stopped near the seat she had used as a bed the night before, and tossed her stuff down. With her rep of being crazy and a killer, no one wanted to approach her. No one wanted to fight her for the things she found, but that would most likely change, she was sure, when the weather started to get colder at night.

Crouching down beside the tent bag, she unzipped the corded cloth, and revealed a used tent that had been stuffed inside after its previous use. Kat had an interesting time pulling everything out, and trying to read the directions on the tag inside the bag on how to build the tent.

About an hour, and a few expletives later, she had her tent up and looking pretty homey is she said so herself. Kat tossed her sleeping bag inside, as well as the seat she had slept on last night, and the lantern. Not that she could use it without propane, but maybe she could figure something else out with it. She cleaned up her mess next, before zipping the door shut to hopefully keep any unwanted bugs out. Now that her home was set up, and she had a place to sleep for the night, Kat turned on her heels to look at the camp.

The day was still early, and she didn't really want to go back out into the woods. If she had her sketch book, she might have gone, but right now she wanted to keep busy. Her eyes landed on Atom, Bellamy's second, or third in command. Murphy might have been his second, but Kat wasn't keeping track. She just knew that Bellamy had left Atom in charge with them gone, as well as made him his sister's keeper. Octavia was currently sitting near where he was stacking wood, looking bored out of her mind.

Kat considered her options. The other delinquents looked like they could use some help with building the wall, especially if Bellamy was expecting it to be up when they got back. She hesitated for a moment, before convincing herself to approach the two. As she neared, Octavia looked up, her head tilting to the side, and her eyes narrowing in an almost curious manner.

Kat only spared her a brief look, not really liking that she was under such careful observation. "Hey Atom," she said carefully, and she clasped her hands in front of her to keep them from fidgeting.

Atom looked up at the sound of his name, but pulled himself short when he realized who it was. "Oh- uh hey... Kat," he said slowly. He looked between her and Octavia, before letting his eyes settle on Kat again. He cleared his throat as he wiped his hands down his pants leg, to rid them of sap and debris, from working with the pile of logs. "What do you need?"

"Kat? That short for anything?" Octavia asked her suddenly, before Kat could say anything.

Blinking in surprise, she looked over at Octavia, and realized she was probably just as much as a stranger, as Octavia was to her. "Oh- uh Katarina," she answered embarrassed. Other than Wells, no one bothered to try and talk to her, so she was a little nervous when the other girl smiled at her answer.

"That's a cool name. Katarina- way better than Kat," Octavia said with her smile growing.

She was blushing hard at the other girl's comment, not used to compliments. "Thanks..." Kat said, and looked away quickly, since she didn't know what else she should say in return. Was she supposed to compliment the girl in return? "Anyways… uh Atom, I was wondering if I could help- you know with the wall," she asked, and was trying her best to keep the begging out of her voice. She just wanted to be given a chance.

Atom's eyebrows lifted nearly to his hairline at her request, and his dark eyes moved to look over at Octavia for a moment, before he was looking at her again. "Oh wow, that's uh-" he made a face then, his hand reaching back to rub the back of his head, his fingers brushing through the short curly strands of his black hair. "To tell you the truth Kat- no one wants to work with you, so I'm not sure what you could do really."

Kat felt his words like a blow to the stomach, and she had to look away quickly so that he wouldn't see the tears that had filled her eyes immediately from his honest answer.

"God Atom, could you be any more of an ass?" Octavia said out loud and shoved the boy away from her. She was glaring at him now, and all he could do was look between them with alarm in his expression.

"It's the truth!" He shot back, then seeing Kat's look swallowed audibly. He averted his eyes then.

That hurt way more than it should of. At least he hadn't tried to sugar coat it. "Uh- right," she answered thickly, and quickly turned on her heels. "Thanks anyway." She quickly walked away then, needing to get out of there, before anyone saw how weak she was acting. She nearly ran to the dropship, darting in through the open doors, and pausing just inside. Her vision was blurred but she could tell just by listening that she was alone.

Her chest ached, somewhere suspiciously near her heart, and she made a choking noise as she stifled the sob that tried to break free. Her hands covered her face, and she shuddered violently from the force of her emotions.

Kat was used to being alone, had been for over two years, with only having herself for company, and for comfort. Another choking sob racked her body, and she curled up on herself trying to muffle, and stop the sounds from carrying.

Never. Not once in over two years, did she feel as alone as she did right at that moment, to have ninety-eight other people surrounding her, and feel more alone than she had in solitary. No one saw her, no one cared. She had been used to that in the skybox, accepted it even. She would be alone until the day she died. But here, it was thrown in her face all the time. Every time she looked at someone, or tried to talk to them. The way they looked at her, the way they picked their words carefully. The way they flinched away from her. Sure, she wanted to be left alone, but she didn't want to be alienated from the group.

Kat's fingers gripped the sleeves of her ratty old jacket, that needed mending badly with all the holes it had from being misused, and not cared for. Her fingers strained as she desperately hugged herself, her chin tucked down, and her eyes squeezed tight. She was trying so hard not to cry, but the tears kept falling, and her body was shaking hard enough to rattle her bones.

A sound outside the dropship, just behind the slip of parachute that acted as a covering over the door, had her jerking away it, and turning on her heels. She could hear voices outside. Biting the insides of her cheeks, she looked around desperately before spotting the ladder that lead to the next level in the ship. She threw herself at the rungs, and scrambled up them as quickly as her shaking arms, and legs would allow. She climbed up through the hatch, pulling her legs up behind her before swinging around to look right at Monty.

Her eyes, most likely bloodshot with all the crying, widened at the sight of him sitting tensely over in the corner. The tear tracks down her cheeks had made her face feel stiff, and itchy, and she knew her cheeks would be blotchy looking. Swallowing hard, she wiped at her face to rid herself of the evidence of her tears, even though it was quite obvious he had heard her. The way he sat uncomfortable in the corner of the ship, with his head bowed, and studiously trying to stare at the wristband in his hand, and not at her, told her that.

Defeated, Kat dragged herself to the far wall, and curled her legs up to her chest. She buried her face into her kneecaps, and just breathed. She wasn't crying anymore at least, but the emotions were still there, and she worried it would only be a matter of time before the floodgates opened a second time.

Several minutes later, Kat had managed to collect herself enough, to find the courage to look up. She caught Monty staring at her, and of course she curled her lip into a snarl to find herself as some form of entertainment. "Take a picture it will last longer," she snapped at him, her nostrils flaring, and her eyes glaring at him. She was directing all of her hatred, and anger towards the young man that was only guilty of looking at her.

"Wh-what?" he spluttered, his dark eyes widening in shock, before he was looking away quickly. "Oh- uh sorry." He seemed to shrink in on himself as if expecting her to attack him with bodily harm. The sight was pitiful, and Kat felt her anger drain away, leaving her feeling weak, and shaky. Closing her eyes, she turned her head away to press her hot cheek against the cold wall of the ship.

No wonder people were terrified of her. She had manners worse than a cave dweller.

"No," she said softly, and her eyes opened to look at him.

Monty was looking at her again, but it wasn't with a look of curious trepidation she had seen before. His eyes were wide, and frightened as he waited for what might do next. He clearly didn't know what to say to her response to his apology.

"I mean- no, I'm sorry," Kat clarified, and she waited to see how he would react.

He blinked, still stunned speechless. His mouth opened, and closed several times, but the words wouldn't come out.

"For snapping at you," she elaborated, thinking he wasn't sure why she was apologizing to him. When he still couldn't string two words together, she glowered at him. "Look, will you calm down, you're acting like I'm going to come at you with a knife…" she dragged out the last word, as realization dawned on her, and her expression darkened. "Whatever."

Silence fell around them after that, and eventually Monty quit mimicking a fish out of water, and went back to work. Occasionally she would glance over in his direction, curious as to what he was up to. A few times, she caught him looking her way, but she made sure to keep her expression neutral. She tried not to dwell on the fact that he looked like someone trying to keep tabs of a dangerous predator in the room, while trying not to draw attention to themselves at the same time.

After a few more tense minutes had passed, she couldn't take it anymore. "What are you working on," she asked him out of the blue, making him jerk in surprise, and he dropped the tool he had been using in the process.

Kat merely blinked at him, waiting for him to settle, and reach for the fallen tool. He glanced in her direction, before sighing heavily as she just continued to stare at him. "I'm trying to find a way to contact the Ark. To let them know we're still alive down here," he finally answered.

Kat nodded her head, and caught her bottom lip with her teeth to nibble on it absently. "Can I watch?" she asked after a moment, but already anticipating a rejection. She sure was a glutton for punishment today.

Monty just stared at her with an incredulous look. When he realized she was serious, he answered slowly with, "I- guess?" It was more of a question than an answer, but Kat didn't care. It wasn't a no. Before either of them knew it, she was clambering to her feet, and crossing the room to sit near him. If anything, he seemed way tenser than he had been before. But that might be because she was closer to him, and the way he sat was just more noticeable being this close.

Kat licked her lips, and did her best to ignore his rigid posture. Instead, she stared at the device in his hands, and the tool he had dropped earlier. "How do you plan to contact the Ark with that?" she asked him.

Monty was struggling with coming to terms that Katarina Mason was sitting next to him, and talking to him. She hadn't tried to kill him yet, or even threaten him, so that had to be good right? He was torn between wanting to drool over the fact that a hot chick was talking to him, or faint because said hot chick was a dangerous killer. Fainting was winning out, as he felt pretty light headed from how close he was sitting next to a murderer.

Licking his lips, he tried to relax his posture, but no matter which direction he leaned, his body would stiffen up, and he just felt uncomfortable. "Erm- well these wristbands send our stats and health back to the Ark. Clarke was thinking we could use that same connection to contact them," he explained, and if his voice came out a little squeaky, she didn't mention it.

Kat nodded her head, her lips twisting into a frown at the mention of Clarke, but other than that, she seemed awfully calm compared to earlier.

Monty hadn't known what to do when he had heard her crying. He'd never been good at dealing with chicks and their emotions, and even a murderer was no different. When she had climbed up the ladder, and he realized it was Katarina Mason, Monty truly expected to find himself shanked before he was able to draw in a breath of air. But so far, he was breathing normally, and she hadn't even really threatened him yet.

"Can I help in anyway," she asked him, and her gaze lifted from the wristband he had been tinkering with, to look up at him with a guarded expression. He felt his cheeks flush, and immediately started stammering. "Oh- Uh well- how much do you know about engineering?" he asked, his brows lifted to his hairline as he stared at her. He didn't really know much about Katarina other than the rumors, so maybe it was possible.

Kat gave him a helpless look. "Nothing I'm afraid," she answered honestly. "I'm more of an animal, and plant person really, sorry."

Monty had the sudden urge to laugh, but was smart enough to bite down on the insides of his cheeks to stop the action before it could even start. He had an image of Katarina surrounded by over grown plants, and about a dozen cats. He mentally shook the picture from his mind, trying not to think of her as _Kat the crazy cat lady_. That would get him stabbed for sure.

Instead he was desperate to change the subject, and blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind. And of course it was the worst thing he could have said at that moment. "Did you really kill your dad?"

The small quirk in her lips that had lingered from her mentioning of being a plant and animal person disappeared completely at his question.

Monty would swear, he saw his life flash before his eyes, half expecting that this would be the moment she would kill, and dispose of his body before anyone noticed he was gone. He swallowed audibly, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously as he stared at her, wishing he could take the words back. That he hadn't said them at all.

Kat looked away first; pulling away from him so that she wasn't leaning in as close, like she had been to check out the wristband he had been working on. "Would anything I say make a difference," she asked in return.

Monty frowned, his features pinching at the unusual question. The rumors about Katarina Mason were famous. How she had killed her old man in cold blood. How she was going to be floated on her eighteenth birthday without even getting a review. She could have spouted her innocence, and Monty, who had lived over two years listening to horrifying graphic details on how she killed her father, would probably think she was lying. He swallowed again, and looked away from her.

"Yea I didn't think so," she answered, and looked away as well.

"Well I still want to know," Octavia said, popping in through the latch.

Both Monty and Kat turned to look at her, surprised by her sudden arrival. Monty was relieved at the sight of a witness, while Kat was annoyed that she had been eavesdropping on them. They could hear Atom's muffled voice in the room below them, his words undistinguishable, but from her response, not hard to figure out. Octavia made a face, and ducking her head back through the opening, yelled, "Go away Atom, no one asked you!"

She pulled back through, and climbed into the room the rest of the way. She slammed the hatch shut, locking them inside, much to Monty's horror.

Octavia then turned her eyes over to Kat, and lifted a brow, her arms crossing over her chest. "Well?"

Kat scowled at the other girl, and looked away, not bothering to answer.

"You know, its common curtesy to answer a question instead of ignoring the person," Octavia taunted her as she walked into the room to join them in the corner.

Kat sent her a snide look. "And its proper manners not to go prying into other people's personal business," she shot back.

Octavia dropped herself into a seated position between Monty and Kat, and shrugged her shoulders. "Yea well I was raised under a floor, so forgive me if my manners are lacking," she said with a smirk. "What's your excuse?"

Kat pulled herself back, her eyes looking the other girl over briefly. "Really?" she asked, before she could help it.

Octavia looked away then, and nodded her head. "You know the law, only one kid per couple," she explained, and raising her hands near her face, waggled her fingers excessively like it was a magic show. "Surprise."

"I'm sorry," Kat said, actually meaning it. She could imagine the life the girl had lived, trapped her whole life. Kat had lived it for a short time herself. It also meant that they would have floated her mom for having a second child. Looking away, Kat stared down into her lap with a pensive expression.

"You know- I think you're the first to actually apologize to me. Even though you had no control over the rules, or anything to do with me getting locked up, you seem to actually mean it. Why?" Octavia was peering at her, her head tipped down to try, and see her face.

Kat sighed, the air ruffling the hair that had fallen around her features like a curtain. "Because what you had to go through. Locked away in your home, only to be locked away in a cell for something you had no control over," she answered honestly. She lifted her head, her eyes landing briefly on Monty before looking at Octavia again. "It wasn't fair."

"Just like you," Octavia said with a nod of her head, like she had it all figured out.

Kat swallowed, and for a brief moment her thoughts and feelings were exposed in her expression, before she shut it down, and turned away.

"You didn't kill your dad, did you?" Monty asked before he could help it. He had been looking between them as they talked, and realized they were able to connect on a level with their shared experiences. He realized without anyone having to say it, that the rumors about Katarina Mason, might have been overly exaggerated.

"I asked Atom about you," Octavia said, her tone not exactly apologetic. "He said you were locked up for killing your father when you were fifteen. But you don't exactly look like the dangerous type, and I doubt you were very dangerous when you were fifteen."

Kat didn't comment, her eyes slanting to the side, and not willing to look at them. She didn't want to talk about it. She'd accepted who she was, had accepted her fate. Why dredge up the past? She couldn't change it. Couldn't take it back. Couldn't stop the fight, or what came afterwards.

"No Monty... I killed my dad- just everything else is a rumor," she said finally and left it at that.

Thankfully, they dropped it, and in the end Octavia had offered her wristband as a guinea pig for Monty, only for the experiment to end in failure. Needing a break, Monty offered for them all to get some fresh air, and the three of them headed outside.

Kat was surprised how much time had passed while they were in the dropship. It was dark out, and looking around she noticed that the others hadn't returned yet. But it wasn't a moment longer after she had started to worry about what might have happened to them, that the group came staggering through the gate of the new wall that surrounded the camp. Finn and Wells were dragging Jasper between them, who was unconscious from the pain of his injuries, and the long trek back to the camp. Clarke was behind them giving them instructions. Bringing up the rear was Bellamy and Murphy dragging a piece of the parachute with a very dead, and very large cat inside.

Their group dispersed at the rescue party's return. Octavia went to her brother first to check on him, while Monty followed the others into the dropship. Kat lingered there between them, unsure what to do with herself. In the end she headed back into the dropship, but lingered off to the side as they tended to Jasper.

"Thanks Monty," Clarke said as soon as the boy brought her the boiled water, and strips of cloth she had asked for. She sat with Jasper and slowly began to clean his wounds, looking him over for anymore other than the obvious one in his chest.

"Is he going to be okay," Kat asked, once the girl was done with her inspection.

Clarke looked up startled, as if she hadn't realized she was there. She frowned at Kat, but answered truthfully, "I don't know. He's stable but that could change. We need medicine- and a real doctor. Do you know if Monty had any luck contacting the Ark?"

Kat shook her head to the question. "He tried all day. I think he's back up there now trying again," she answered.

Clarke sighed, her head dropping into her hands as exhaustion seemed to weigh her down. Kat stepped forward then. "I'll watch him- if you want to try and get something to eat. I think they're cooking that cat you guys brought back."

Clarke lifted her head to look at her again. She seemed unsure at first, but the growl of her belly seemed to push her to her feet. "Alright, just for a little bit. Thanks Mason," Clarke said with a nod. She passed Kat to head outside, and Kat didn't bother to watch her leave. Instead she headed over to Jasper's side who was moaning softly.

"Hey there Jasper," she murmured, and lowered herself down quietly beside him. He moaned again, his eyes opening to the sound of her voice.

"Octavia," he mumbled, and his eyes rolled up into his head before he passed out again.

Kat pursed her lips together at the mention of Octavia's name. She must mean something to him, if she was the first person he thought of, for the brief moment he had woken up. Shifting herself onto her knees, Kat reached out for the foliage that had been placed over the wound in his chest. Kat had overheard Clarke mention the grounders had made it to treat his wounds. Which was odd really? Why go to the trouble to help your victim heal?

Peeling the leaf back, she looked at the stuff that had been applied to the underside. _Seaweed_ , she mused to herself, recognizing it from her botany book. She knew some seaweed could be used as an antibiotic, she just hadn't realized any would be this far north. Kat replaced the leaf, and mulled over this information. If the grounders had been able get some to use as a poultice for Jasper, then there had to be a river nearby that it would grow in.

Getting up, Kat moved to the door but stopped when she spotted Clarke's bag laying there on the floor, discarded. She only hesitated for a second, before she was crouching down next to it, and rifling around inside. With a look of triumph, Kat pulled out the map, she had seen Clarke using the other day. Taking the map with her, she carried it over to a light that had been set up near the corner, and laid the map out on the closest flat surface she could find. Trailing her finger from the mark that indicated their camp, she dragged it along till she found what she was looking for. A small river ran north of here, it wasn't a large river, which meant the current would be slower, and it could be the perfect home for the seaweed she needed. Folding the map back up, she tucked it under her shirt to hide it, before leaving the safety of the dropship.

Outside, Kat scanned the clearing, and at all the people hanging around enjoying their first real meal since landing on earth. Her eyes fell on Octavia sitting near Bellamy and Murphy, enjoying her own meal. Crossing the clearing, Kat stopped in front of the other girl.

"Hey Kat, want to join us," Octavia asked with a small smile. Next to her, Bellamy looked scandalized at his sister's brazen offer, but Kat just shook her head.

"Uh no- Jasper woke up for a moment and was asking for you, thought you would want to know," Kat explained. Octavia looked over at the dropship for a moment, before looking back at Kat. "Thanks," the girl said, and quickly got to her feet, and hurried to the dropship to check on Jasper.

Now that Jasper was being looked after, that freed Kat up for the evening. She hadn't felt like approaching Clarke and Finn, to get Clarke to go back on babysitting duty. But taking a hunch on something being there between Octavia and Jasper, had panned out pretty well. Kat looked over at Bellamy to find him staring at her.

"Getting buddy buddy with my sister I see," he said in a clipped voice.

Kat just shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry Bells, I won't convert her to the dark side," she shot back before turning away from him. She'd used the nickname she had heard Octavia use when talking about her brother. It seemed to work as she expected, since it had taken him off guard as he stared at her in opened mouth shock.

Moving around Murphy, she dutifully ignored his jibbing comment to get a rise out of her. She was too tired after the emotionally taxing day she had. Kat helped herself to a piece of meat roasting on a stick over the fire, and took it with her to her tent. She hadn't eaten anything all day, and the smell of roasting meat was making her mouth water.

Eating it was divine. Kat crashed onto her makeshift bed, the dropship seat keeping her off the ground, and the sleeping bag working as a blanket to cocoon her in a pocket of warmth. It really wasn't a surprise that she fell asleep moments after she curled up onto her side.

* * *

 _ **AN: ~Revised 1/18/17~**_

 _ **So long time no see right? Sorry for the delay, things have been hectic and then my computer broke down and I thought I had lost all my work... That had been scary. But! New computer and my work was miraculously saved. SO here I am with the next chapter.**_

 _ **Let me know what you think, did you love/like/hate it? Anyone else get a little teary eyed? I must say I absolutely adore Monty, and I really hope I nailed his character in this chapter, as well as Octavia's.**_

 _ **Inky out!**_


	5. Chapter Four

**Rumors**

 **Chapter four**

Jenna Mason stood before a guard outside the Lock-up, where all the people who had committed crimes and were under the age of eighteen were being kept. Her brows furrowed as the man refused to let her inside, despite having an appointment set up in advance to see her daughter today.

"Now look here," she started, her hands dropping to her hips as she tried to straighten her 5'7 frame to its full height. "I had an appointment to see my daughter today and I plan to do just that."

The guard returned her perturbed look with a glare of his own. "Ma'am I can care less if you had a meeting with the Chancellor. This area is off limits due to quarantine. No visitors, even if you had an appointment, quarantine regulations clearly states No Visitors," he said in an irritated tone.

Jenna pulled away from him then, her arms moving to cross themselves over her chest and grab at the grey sweater she was wearing. "But Katarina- my Kat. I haven't seen her in two years. Please, I need to see her," she begged, tears filling her eyes as the guard refused to move from the only entrance into the Lock-up.

There was only three days left. She had to see her daughter. She had to make things right, before it was too late.

Turning from the man, Jenna made her way down the corridor, in search of someone who could help her. She found it in the form of Councilman Marcus Kane and Chief Medical Officer Abigale Griffin.

"Abby," she said in relief at the sight of the other woman, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Jenna knew that Abby's daughter Clarke Griffin had been recently placed into Lock-up and she over anyone else would be able to help her get in to see her Katarina.

"Jenna?" Abby asked, her expression one of surprise. It might have been because since the death of her husband and the Lock-up of her daughter, had caused Jenna to hold up mostly inside her home, unwilling to see anyone. It had only been the past couple months that she had started getting out more. Accepting what had happened to her family, had played a large part in her stepping out of her home after being shut in for nearly two years.

"Abby- its Kat. The guards won't let me see my daughter," she pleaded with the woman, her hands clasping before her in a prayer that the woman would help her.

"Kat? Katarina?" Abby asked and she turned her head to look over at Kane and the two of them shared a look. "She was in Lock-up...? Wait that can't be right." Abby's eyes shifted side to side as she considered something.

Kane stepped forward then, his expression firm and his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked Jenna over. "Mason, right," he asked and Jenna nodded her head.

"Katarina Mason was to be executed on her eighteenth birthday, if I remember correctly. That's in a few days right?" he asked her, his expression never changing from being impartial.

Again Jenna nodded her head. She looked at Abby again, wanting to implore the woman to help her see her daughter. She had to understand. "So you see it is really important I see her. They said her cellblock is under quarantine. I only have three days before it's too late. Please Abby, please help me," she pleaded.

"Jenna I- I'm sorry. We can't break protocol," Abby said, her expression torn, as if she wanted to help but knew she couldn't.

"Jenna, your daughter was locked up over two years ago. You haven't seen her at all during that entire sentence. Why all of a sudden must you see your daughter," Kane spoke up. He had been referencing his data pad, pulling up the visitor logs on one Katarina Mason.

Jenna made a pained noise and seemed to crumple in on herself. "I need to fix it," she said on a moan, and her knees buckled under her weight. Both Abby and Kane moved to try and catch her, but she hit the floor before either of them could get to her quick enough. She stood on her knees, her hands held tightly in front of her in the prayer position.

"I was weak and stupid. I loved my husband, but he was a bad man. He- would beat me, every day and yet I still loved him. I loved him so much. That- That night Kat- she came home and Lenny- he had beat me unconscious. I- don't know what all happened, but it was self-defense. Whatever my Kat did it was to protect me, to protect us both from him. I was too weak to see that, that night. I called her horrible things, blamed her for taking Lenny away from me," Jenna was sobbing now, her hands clutching at her body as if it would hold herself together. "Please. My Kat- she's a good girl. She doesn't deserve to die for protecting me. Please let me see my little girl. I have to make things right." Jenna stared at them, her eyes filled with tears, and her body trembling in her pain.

Abby was speechless, her eyes widening as she turned her gaze to Kane and muttered one word, "Dropship."

Kane mirrored her expression, the word seeming to mean something to him.

"Jenna, follow me," Abby said lowly and Kane moved to stop her. "No, Abby-" but Abby just held up her hand to silence him.

Jenna slowly rose to her feet, and with a hand at her back and the other holding onto her forearm, Abby lead her down the corridors through the Ark until they had stepped into a room. There were several people standing around looking towards a large screen that seemed to take up the majority of one side of the room.

"Why are we here," Jenna asked confused.

"I'm so sorry Jenna," Abby said at first and turned Jenna to face her. "I don't understand how there was a mix up- but your daughter... she wasn't supposed to be sent to earth with the others. Because of her crimes, we didn't really think it was safe to send her with the other kids."

Jenna frowned, not understanding. "Earth? Abby what are you talking about," she asked, her tone rising with her concern.

"There isn't a quarantine, Jenna. We sent the kids in Lock-up to earth to see if it was habitable," Abby explained.

"You sent my little girl to earth?"

"She wasn't supposed to be, she should have been separated from the other kids, but yes, Jenna your daughter was sent to earth with ninety-nine other kids, including my own daughter," Abby said, her tone sounding sad and hollow. She turned slowly and led Jenna closer to the screen and indicated to the one hundred pictures. Over half of them had been darkened however with the word Terminated written across it.

Jenna searched the faces, trying to find one that was familiar. "Where- oh- oh no," Jenna placed a hand over her mouth, drawing in a pained breath as she found her daughter. It must have been a recent photo they had used, because Kat no longer looked fifteen with round dimpled cheeks and pink lips that were always smiling about something. The photo was of someone Jenna hardly recognized, a ghost of the girl she had raised for fifteen years. Jenna fell to her knees for a second time that day as a pained wail escaped her throat. She dropped her face into her hands and began to sob.

She was too late.

Across the photo of Katarina Mason, the word Terminated was illuminated in a bright red hue.

 **OoOoO**

Kat woke up at dawn the next morning. She silently dressed in her three day old clothes and shrugged on her jacket. Across the tent from her, Wells didn't even stir. She knew he had stayed awake late last night trying to keep an eye out for her. For some reason he had taken it upon himself to protect her from Murphy who so far had tried every chance he could get to make her lash out at him. And because of Bellamy's threat, Kat was doing everything she could to watch her Ps & Qs.

Looking over at the boy who she offered to share her tent with, she waited a beat to see if he would wake. When he stayed curled up on his side, facing away from her, she reached for the bag he had made and stuffed the map inside it. Shrugging it over her shoulder, the buckles made from the dropship seats fit a little loose around her chest, but it hung at a comfortable length, that she didn't feel the need to adjust the tightness.

She silently crept to the tent door and as quietly as she could manage, unzipped the flap and stepped out before zipping it shut behind her. Her ears strained to hear any of the other delinquents waking as the sun started to light up the camp around them. Within the hour it would be sunny out, the overcast burning off and the others would be waking up. She would be long gone before then and hopefully back before anyone realized where she went off to.

All night she had listened to Jasper getting worse, his moans of pain growing in volume. Obviously he was no longer stable and was most likely suffering from an infection. He needed those antibiotics now, and she wasn't going to wait around for her _Highness_ to wake up so that she could go track the seaweed herself.

This was her idea, her specialty and for once, she would be useful.

Kat slipped around the makeshift tents that had been strung up all through the camp, being mindful not to step on anyone who had decided to brave the chilled night air last night. Wells had shown her the loose panel in the wall that had been built around the camp, and she used the secret passage to slip unnoticed outside the perimeter. Not that the guy who was sleeping while on watch near the gate would have noticed had she just walked right out through the gate.

She closed the folding back into place behind her, taking her time so not to make a sound. She ducked into the trees then, pulling her map out of her bag as she did so. She consulted the location of the river she needed to get to and started north. It would take her a good hour or two to reach it, not that she minded. All this walking around she did was building muscles in her thighs and calves, if the burn she felt now and the ache she felt at night when she tried to sleep were anything to go by.

Her pace was steady, her eyes ever vigilant in case a grounder tried to take her out. Not that she would have been able to stop him, if he decided to spear her to a tree or anything. And if he even decided to forgo the distance attack and take her head on, it wasn't like she would be able to defend herself either. Knowing this should have frightened her, but right now she really didn't feel the fear. Instead her mind was on Jasper, on getting the seaweed, and that she really could use a bath.

Kat reached the river a little later than she had anticipated, but that was fine. She had gotten stuck having to walk around a bed of thistles that she hadn't felt like braving. Navigating over the rocks that lined the shore on either side, she walked up along the length of it, till she found that the current had slowed down to a near standstill. The water looked red, and she moved closer to the water for a better look.

"There you are," she said with a grin. She'd found the seaweed. All on her own. _Take that Princess!_

Kat stuffed the map back into her bag, or at least the bag she had taken from Wells, though she doubted he would mind in the end anyway. You could steal the shirt off his back and he would play it cool and let you keep it. He was just that kind of guy. And it was something that unnerved her constantly. She just wanted to grab him by the shoulders, shake him, and scream 'what the hell is wrong with you?' Sometimes, you just needed to get mad at people and stand up for yourself.

She stood on the shore, debating on the best method of getting the seaweed. Any prospecting idea involved her getting wet. As well as her clothes. No way was she going to strip on the off chance a grounder might come across her. And she would be damned if she was killed while in nothing but her underwear. Bending over, she slipped her fingers into the side of her boot and pinched the handle of her shiv and slipped it out so that she held it loosely in her hand. Again she weighed her options for half a minute before making up her mind.

"Screw it," she muttered and marched into the river, grimacing as immediately her clothes started to weigh her down, and her boots filled up with water. With each step, her feet would squish into the soles of her boots, grossing her out at the unusual feel of it. Within moments her body temperature had dropped and she started to tremble, but she refused to back down now that she had made it waist deep.

She reached for the seaweed and with shaking hands, began to hack away at it and putting the pieces she cut off into her bag. She could care less if it ruined the map. Right now she wanted to get the seaweed and get out before she got hypothermia.

She had several branches of the seaweed filling her bag by the time she heard people approaching. Tensing, she looked over to see Clarke, Finn and Wells step out of the tree line. Finn was trying to hide a smile behind his hand as he turned his head to look in Clarke's direction.

"Guess we know who took the map now," he commented and Kat barely heard the words. Clarke didn't comment as she was too busy stalking towards the river with a pinch in her brows and her lips turned down into a displeased frown.

Wells moved passed Clarke though, beating her to the river side to hold a hand out to Kat. "See, I told you she was useful," he said with a grin as he looked back towards Clarke and Finn. They had stopped a few feet away from the river, while Wells had taken the chance of getting his feet wet to help Kat out of the water. "That's for Jasper right?"

Reluctantly taking his hand, she let Wells lead her back to shore and she only stumbled once in her soggy shoes. Grimacing, she looked down at her soaked pants. _Great_ , she thought, wondering what kind of chance she had at avoiding getting sick on her way back to camp as the sun was barely warming the air around them. It was chilly out, the overcast taking longer to dissipate than usual.

"Yea, since everyone else was busy and didn't need any help, I thought I'd get some of this to help Jasper out. Figured he might need more antibiotics," she answered with a nod. Turning her eyes over to Clarke she asked, "He does need it right?"

Clarke nodded her head to the question. "He's getting worse. I- I think he might be septic. How- how'd you know what plant we needed and where to find it," she asked her own question, and she seemed to be looking at Kat in a different light than she had before.

Kat shrugged her shoulders and reaching into the bag, she scrounged around until she found the soggy map underneath all the seaweed. Handing it over to Clarke with an oops expression on her face, she explained, "I saw the poultice those people used to cover the wound. I recognized the seaweed plant and knew it grew best in water. Figured this would be the place."

"Why didn't you say anything to anyone," Clarke asked looking skeptical again of the girl in front of her. She didn't feel like she could fully trust Kat, but that distrust mostly stemmed from all the rumors she had heard over the years. How could you trust someone who would kill their own dad for no reason?

Seeing her expression, Kat gave her one of her own, but on the more sarcastic side of the spectrum. "Would you have listened? Or let me come, had I gone to you…?" she waited a heartbeat, not even giving Clarke the opportunity to deny what they both knew was true. "No you wouldn't have. So I came here on my own."

Kat didn't look away from Clarke's expression, waiting to see if the other girl would still try to deny what she had said or not. Behind her, Wells had looked away, his brows raised and leaning away from the pair like he half expected a cat fight to break out. Finn on the other hand was clearly amused by the two of them, but had smartly stayed silent.

In the end, Clarke let it go for what it was, the truth. Actually, Kat would almost say she looked guilty. "Need any help?" Clarke asked her.

Kat shook her head to the question. "No I don't want to take any more in case someone else might need it in the future. What I got so far, should last us a while," she said and padded her bag gently to indicate how full it was.

"Hey isn't that my bag," Wells asked, a teasing tone in his voice. "I don't recall giving you permission to use it."

Rolling her eyes, she tipped her head up to look at him. "I figured it was fair game since it was in my tent," she said with a smug smile.

"Hey I thought that was our tent," he asked, the smile falling from his face as he stared at her.

"Uh no- you're just renting your half of it, I expect payment on a daily basis, which by the way- you are past due on your rent- so cough it up," she said, holding her hand out towards him like she seriously expected him to pay her for sleeping in the tent last night.

Wells just rolled his eyes at her. "Right sorry, I left my cash in my other pants back on the Ark. I'll give you an I.O.U later when we get back to camp," he quipped.

Kat's serious expression didn't falter. "I'll take payment in berries and nuts," she said and the corner of her lips quirked up into a little smile.

Wells reached out then and messed with her hair, his large palm rubbing roughly over the top of her head. "Sure- sure," he said with a laugh when she swatted at his hands.

"Hey!" she snapped at him and ducked out from under his arms.

Clarke looked between the two, her expression slightly pained. She remembered a time when her and Wells were like that. Part of her missed it, while another surged with anger that he was able to stand there and laugh while her father couldn't. If it hadn't been for Wells, her father would still be alive. "Are you two finished," she asked tightly. "I don't think Jasper should have to wait any longer, do you?"

She looked between them to get her point across.

Both Kat and Wells fell silent, their shoulders drooping at the reminder of the injured boy. "She's right- we should," Wells' voice faded as a cacophony of screeching birds filled the air.

As one the group turned to see as a flock of them flew from the trees and right towards them. Kat ducked, her hands going up to protect her head when she first thought they were diving bombing to attack them. Only, instead the birds just flew right over their cowered forms.

"What the- what is that?"

Kat lifted her head to see what Finn was pointing at. A yellow cloud, or maybe fog was the better way to describe it, was climbing through the trees, consuming everything in its path. Just looking at the fog as it moved towards them made her heart lurch in her chest with fear and her heeled boot slipped on the rocks when she tried to take a step away from it.

A horn sounded then, like a warning and Wells shouted, "Run!"

Kat didn't feel the need to argue. She was already turning and running after the other three for the tree line. Looking back over her shoulder, she watched as the cloud rushed in like a force of nature across the river, and covering the ground they had been just standing in.

"It's right behind us!" She shrieked, the feeling like it was chasing them had her kicking her feet harder into the ground for better traction and pushing herself forward.

Clarke and Finn were leading the way, with Finn directing them in the direction they needed to go. "This way!" He shouted back to them and helped Clarke clear a log. Wells was close on their heels, not even realizing Kat was falling behind.

Kat stumbled, her foot catching on a root and she fell to her hands and knees. Her wet clothes were weighing her down, and the water-logged boots slowed her steps, and made running awkward for her. For a brief moment, she wished she had stripped naked to get the seaweed, but it was too late to worry about that choice now. "Shit," she cursed and looked back to see the fog was still coming.

Scrambling to her feet, she yelped as her hand moved towards the tendrils that were moving in front of the larger force and it burned the top of her hand the moment it came into contact with her. She panicked, her head swiveling around in search of Clarke, Finn, or Wells. Only to find that they were just gone. She climbed over the fallen log, her chest heaving as she realized they had left her behind. Before she could start to hyperventilate, a hand closed around her wrist and she was being pulled forward.

Kat looked ahead, her eyes widening at the unfamiliar man who had appeared out of nowhere. His tight grip around her wrist was firm as he pulled her into a run, her feet barely able to keep up at the pace he moved at.

The trees seemed to blur pass them, her chest heaving as her breath became labored the longer they ran. She could feel her muscles straining in her thighs, and her knees shaking. If they didn't stop soon, she was going to collapse.

"I- I need-." she wheezed and had to suck in a sharp breath of air as her lungs screamed for relief.

He came to a jarring stop and she plowed right into his back and if he hadn't had such a firm hold on her arm she would have bounced off the hard lines of his backside and hit the ground. Instead she merely staggered back, her body shuddering from the overdose of adrenaline pumping through her veins. The man released her arm and grabbed ahold of what looked like a metal door built into a rock facing and wrenched it open.

With the door open, he turned to face her and Kat screamed at her first real sight of him. His dark eyes stared at her through the holes of a mask that clung to his face, hiding most of his features from her. His eyes then focused on something over her shoulder, his expression turning to fear and Kat whirled around, half expecting to find something more terrifying behind them. And there was. The deadly yellow fog was right on them.

Two arms gripped her around the waist and yanked her backwards. Kat shrieked and kicked out with her legs, trying to get free of him. He tossed her aside then and she stumbled away from the door, falling against a solid wall. Lifting her head, she looked up just in time as the man grabbed the door, and sealed them inside right before the fog slammed into the barrier.

He took a step back as if waiting to see if the fog might still find a way in, but the door remained leak free, and he turned to face her then.

Kat was pressed up against the wall like a cornered animal. Her one hand held her knife out in front of her, brandishing it like a lifeline in case he decided to attack her. _Grounder_ , her mind yelled at her. _This was a grounder. They nearly killed Jasper- now-_

Kat paused as her mind seemed to finally catch up to what had happened since she had fallen in the forest. She had been so terrified; she hadn't been able to process all that was happening. Her eyes flickered away from the man to the wall behind him. The room was dark, and her eyes were still struggling to adjust to such darkness, after having gotten used to sunlight, or moonlight or even lights from stars to help light up her way.

She wasn't terrified of the darkness, or the silence that had fallen around them. Besides the sound of the fog moving around the structure they were safety hidden inside, there was no other noise. Unless one counted the pounding of her heart and ragged breaths, which Kat wasn't going to count, or even mention how out of breath and terrified she was right now.

With her eyes off him, the man had seemed to take that as a signal that everything was okay, and he stepped towards her. Kat's eyes flew back to him at the sudden movement and she jerked back, her head cracking against the wall behind her.

"Shit," she cursed, her hands going up to touch the tender spot at the back of her head. When her hands came away, there was no blood that she could see or feel, but it already felt like a knot was forming.

Remembering the man, she raised the knife out in front of her again, trying to keep him as far from her as possible. Her brain was struggling with wrapping around the notion that he had saved her. That was what he had done right? Her throbbing skull was making things difficult to think it through. Why would he save her, after what he or his people did to Jasper-

"Jasper!" she gasped, remembering the injured boy. Her arms lowered to pat her bag, making sure the seaweed was still there. Reaching inside, she felt out the leave and was reassured that they all seemed relatively okay. Perhaps a little squished, but other than that they were whole. Looking back at the man, she glanced towards the door, wondering if she could get around him and out the door before he could stop her.

 _Not hardly._

"I need to help him, he needs these," she tried to explain and held out the bag so that he could make out the seaweed inside. "He'll die without it."

He shook his head, his eyes staring at her intensely and all she could make out were the whites of his eyes in the darkness, the rest of him being too dark for her to really distinguish from their surroundings.

Feeling her temper flare at his refusal, she took an angered step towards him, foolishly forgetting that he was dangerous, and most likely armed even though she hadn't spied any obvious weapons on him.

"What is wrong with you people," she snapped, her nostrils flaring as she breathed heavily through them. "He's just a kid, what the hell did he ever do to you?"

Suddenly the man was moving towards her, like a shadow the movement was fluid and she barely had time to gasp before he was on top of her. She couldn't even use the knife as he gripped her wrist and pressed firmly into the tendon there, and her fingers reflexively let her only weapon go. The sound of it hitting the ground at their feet echoed in the room they were in. She found herself pressed into the wall at her back, her wrist pinned to the surface above her head. His weight was pressed against her to keep her from fighting him and he took hold of her other hand gently.

Kat could hardly breathe, her eyes wide and staring up into the bottom of his mask. He was at least a head taller than her, easily outweighed her, and had overpowered her in seconds. Her mind thought for one fleeting moment, _This is how I'm going to die_. In the next it was registering his gentle touch on the hand he didn't have pinned to the wall behind her. Turning her head, she watched as he leaned forward to inspect the burn she had suffered from the fog.

She had almost forgotten about it, in her terrified adrenalin pumping state. Her eyes looked away from the burn on her hand to inspect the man who had dragged her from the fog, and threw her into what looked like another bunker, and sealed them both inside it. He smelled like the woods, of dirt, grass, and trees. She could smell a hint of sap from the trees, and realized that he must have been up in the trees before he had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Had he been following them? To what end? To pick them off one by one?

Then why did he bother helping her when he could have left her to the fog? Nothing made any sense anymore, and she winced as her head throbbed even worse than from before.

"So- obviously, you can understand me," she said carefully, and he tipped his chin down to look at her then. Kat felt her face flush at how close he was. If it wasn't for the mask, she would have felt his breath against her lips; though the intense look in his eyes was burning a hole through her skull she was sure.

Swallowing hard, she had to clear her throat to get the next words she said out above a hoarse whisper. "You at least understand some of what I say." She was sure she was right about this. She mentioned leaving, and he had made sure she wouldn't. He still had her pinned to the wall for god's sake, and remembering that, she tugged at the wrist he still held in a loose grip to the wall.

He neither agreed nor disagreed with her statement. Instead he pulled away from her, taking a step or two away from her to give her some space.

Kat lowered her arm and rubbed at the wrist, but there was no bruising or any sign of injury from being pinned. All in all she felt good, minus her hand that had been burned and the pain from the back of her head causing a headache. Everything he had done so far since showing up, said he had no intentions of hurting her. Whether he planned to let her go once the fog lifted though, that was another story.

"Thank you for saving me," she said carefully, her eyes watching him to see if he understood her. Again he made no sign that he did. Well this was frustrating. "They just left me and-" Not that she should have been surprised right? She wasn't part of their group. She was the fourth wheel on their tricycle. There was no need or use for her there. They had left her behind when she tripped and then _He_ was there.

Kat tilted her head, her eyes trying to see beyond the strange mask. Her vision had adjusted to the darkness now, and she could see him a little better, but not by much. His camouflaged clothing looked bulky and leafy, like it had been made of twigs and leaves to help him blend into the trees. The mask looked like it had been forged, but by what, she really couldn't tell. It covered most of his face, running up between his eyes to reach the back of his shaved head, and then spreading out like thick spines or twigs to cover his nose, and cheeks, and then down to his chin. When he turned his head, she could see that it wrapped around his ears to allow him to hear.

It was really intimidating to look at. Especially with the dark paint that encircled his eyes, making them look like twin beacons in the darkness.

"And you saved me. So thank you," Kat said and she crossed her arms over her chest as they had started to nervously pick at her clothing.

Again he made no sign he understood, but just stared at her with that intense look. His eyes were brown. _Like warm sap on a tree,_ she thought to herself, remembering the way they had looked so close to her face just moments ago. She closed her eyes when she realized she was attracted. To a pair of eyes.

 _Jesus._

Kat moved back to the wall and slid down its length to sit there. She pulled her knees up to her chest and just wanted to bury her face into her knees, and melt into the floor. What the hell was wrong with her?

The room went quiet after that, as she no longer trusted herself to speak to him. She'd thanked him, that was enough right? She could try small talk, but she would mostly be talking to herself, and that wasn't appealing. Her mind drifted, wondering if the others had found safety. She wondered if the people at camp were safe, though she was only concerned about Jasper, Octavia and Monty's wellbeing. The rest could jump off a cliff for all she cared.

With the adrenaline leaving her system, and she no longer feared for her life, the chilled air started to settle in. Every twitch and shift, reminded her that her clothes were still wet, slowly drying in the still air of the bunker. Gritting her teeth, she tried not to let on just how cold she was starting to get. She knew from survival class, that she needed to get her wet clothes off and get warm before hypothermia set in. Despite knowing that, she absolutely refused to strip in front of the grounder.

Occasionally her eyes would move across the room and land on him, only to find him staring at her in that intense way, and she would look away blushing. Why the hell did he keep staring? Was that not rude where he came from?

Kat shifted in her seated spot, her legs dropping to stiffly cross themselves and she accidently bumped her injured hand against her knee. She hissed in pain, her teeth clenching as she looked down at the reddened skin. It hurt like she had been burned by hot oil or something. How the hell does a fog do that?

He crossed the room before she was even able to register the movement, and dropped down in front of her. Startled, she looked up at him, her eyes wide. He could be so quiet. It just wasn't normal. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small carrying case that looked like it had once been a sardine can, or something similar. Opening it, the container held several different vials crammed inside it. He selected one with red liquid, and motioned for her to extend her hand to him.

Kat did so, without reluctance. He hadn't tried to hurt her yet, and that alone had her trusting him. She had no idea what was inside the vial, and he seemed to understand her concern as he held it closer for her to see its contents.

"Seaweed," she asked, her brows furrowing. She recognized a small stem of the plant floating in the liquid.

He uncorked the vial, and handed it over to her. He indicated for her to drink it, and Kat shot the liquid back and grimaced as it left a foul taste in her mouth. Well that surely hadn't helped her breath at all.

He selected a second vial then and opened it as well. This one was different, and he poured it over the wound, and the tingling sensation it spread across the burn had her breathing easier. It was like a cool balm, making the throbbing ache fade away almost completely. "Aloe," she guessed, knowing that it was commonly used for burns. The plant had been ground down into a thin paste that spread easily, and he only had to aide it a little with his fingers to make sure it covered the whole burn.

Afterwards, he put his supplies away, and replaced the carrier back into his jacket where he had retrieved it from. Kat expected him to move back to his place on the other side of the room, but instead he stayed where he was, and watched her.

"Thank you, again. I'm not exactly sure why you're doing this- but I appreciate it- even if it's like some sick way to make sure I'm in good enough condition to be live bait, or something," Kat rambled nervously, and suddenly snapped her mouth shut, her teeth clicking audibly as she looked away. _Great. Give him some ideas why don't you Kat. If he hadn't thought it before, he sure is now._ Wells had mentioned that was what the grounders had done to Jasper.

Silence came then, and they sat listening to the fog as it continued to pass, and she wondered how long it might be before they could leave this place. It felt like hours had already passed when it was most likely less than one. She had realized that she was shivering, until the grounder shifted from his spot next to her. Her head jerked up to see him, fluidly wrestle himself from his outer jacket, and dropped it down over her shoulders. She stared at him for a long moment as he settled back down against the wall, his attention moving to stare at anything but her for a change.

The warmth of the jacket settled her trembling limbs and she found herself resting back against the wall with a soft sigh. "Thank you," she murmured in the darkness, and she hunched her shoulders, to pull the jacket as tightly to her body as she could. It smelled like him, woodsy and fresh. She had expected BO, or at least sweat to cling to the lining, but surprisingly the sweetness of the sap and pine needles was all that she could recognize.

Resting against the wall, she lost track of time, her eyes staring across the room while he seemed content to watch her, from the corner of his eyes. Though occasionally she had seen his eyes look away, but they were then mostly occupied with his hands, and his fingers would rub together absently. The Aloe perhaps? It would still be on his fingers so maybe it was numbing them like it had her injury?

"I guess we're the same," she said mostly to fill the silence. He was looking at her again, and Kat found herself continuing, because the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. "What everyone says about us are lies… or just rumors."

She won't look at him now, her eyes trained on the far wall. A part of her was afraid that if she did look at him, she would see she was wrong. And that he had indeed saved her only to use her as bait, or something equally as horrific. What she said though, made some sense. The things the people back at camp had been saying about the grounders, that they were just savages.

Her eyes flickered over in his direction. He sure looked the part, but so far he had been anything but savage to her.

He finally moved away from her then, and he took a seat across the room, and his head tipped to the side so that he stared towards the door. Kat wasn't sure what to make of that, on whether he agreed with what she said, or not.

She decided it didn't really matter anyway. Once the fog was gone, she would have her answer.

They sat like that for hours. Shifting occasionally as the cold floor bit into their rears uncomfortably, but neither one complained. Her clothes had managed to dry mostly while they waited, leaving only the feel of stiff dampness in her jeans, but her skin underneath had gone numb long before then. Kat gave up on talking a while ago, and was on the verge of passing out from exhaustion, and boredom when her companion jumped to his feet.

All of a sudden, she was wide awake, and watching him as he moved towards the door. When he pressed a hand against the cold surface, and listened, Kat did the same from her place across the room. It was finally quiet outside. Scrambling to her feet, she moved to his side, no longer balking at their close proximity.

He glanced down at her briefly, before he was pushing the door open, and they stepped out into fresh clean air, and a forest blanketed in silence. It was late, and through the trees, she could see the sun was starting to set.

Kat stepped out of the bunker, her hands reaching up to run her fingers through the rat's nest that had become her hair, and turned around. The fog was gone and they were out of the bunker. "Finally!" she shouted and spun on her heels in excitement. "I thought my ass was going to freeze off if we were stuck in there any longer." She stopped and faced him, her lips quirked into a smirk.

Suddenly she remembered that he might not let her go.

"I-" she stopped before she could say it, her lips pressing together. She really had no idea where she was, having been turned around, and had no idea in which direction the dropship was. She could spend a lifetime running through these woods, and never find it.

He doesn't say anything, not that she expected him to, but merely pointed south of their direction, and nodded his head at her. Kat felt her body relax, with her features softening, and she looked in the direction he had indicated. She couldn't see anything beyond the trees that seemed to go on for miles. She turned to ask him if the dropship was in that direction, only to find him gone.

"Wait," she called, whirling around to see if she could find him. Even looking within the tree limbs, she couldn't see where he had gone to. "Damn." She frowned then. She would just have to trust he was leading her home, and not over a cliff. Looking down at herself, she suddenly remembered she still had his jacket. Turning on her heels, she does a full three-sixty in case she might have missed him walking away from her. "You forgot your coat," she called out.

Silence greeted her, not that she had expected him to say anything in return. But there was no sound of his retreating footsteps or anything. If it hadn't been for the jacket, and the aloe on the back of her burned hand, she might have convinced herself she had made him up.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Kat started walking, heading south. It was nightfall by the time she made it back to the dropship, and delivered the seaweed she had stored in her bag. She had taken off the jacket he had given her, tucking it securely into some brush outside the camp, so that she wouldn't have to answer any questions on how she came about the clothing.

Lincoln had followed her back to her camp, making sure she made it back unharmed. Once she was safe within the walls, he had made his way over to where she had left his jacket. Bending down, he pulled it free from the tangles limbs of a bush and held it out in front of him. Instead of putting it on right away, he brought the jacket to the mask he wore, and breathed in. He could still smell her on it, even though she had removed it over an hour ago.

Carefully, he slipped the jacked back on, tugging at the sleeves once it had settled on his wide shoulders. He zipped up the front and buttoned the clasps before he headed over to the tree that gave him the better vantage point to see over the wall, and not be seen. It also had a direct view of Kat's tent and he settled onto the limb silently.

He watched as the sky people busied themselves in making antibiotics, and how a few of the sky people rejoiced in her return to the camp safely. The male she shared her tent with seemed pleased to see her safe and sound.

Leaning back against the trunk of the tree, Lincoln felt weariness settling into his body. He tried to get as comfortable as he could while situated high up in a tree, and his eyes moved from one figure to the next. The girl had gone into the dropship to check in on the injured boy a while ago, so he allowed himself time to relax. Absently, his fingers rubbed together, and he swore he could still feel the softness of her skin on his fingertips.

* * *

 ** _AN: I know its been forever, but here is chapter four. Hope it was to your liking. Let me know what you think of Kat's and Lincoln's meeting? He's a bit of a creeper ain't he though? Good thing he's cute... haha_**

 ** _Did you like/love/hate it?_**

 ** _Inky out_**


	6. Chapter Five

**Rumors**

 **Chapter five**

Three days had passed since Kat returned with the seaweed. Three days since they were able to give Jasper the antibiotics he needed to get better. And three days since Kat returned to the spot where she had hidden the jacket the grounder had given her, only to find it gone.

Things at the camp had calmed down, oddly enough, and Kat would almost say things had been rather peaceful. More kids were taking off their wristbands, and that included the high and mighty Princess Clarke had taken hers off yesterday much to everyone's surprise. Only a few held out, Monty and Jasper being two of them. They still had family on the Ark they cared about, and vice versa, after all.

Kat wouldn't say she was fitting in with the group of delinquents, but that she was slowly getting there. Since bringing back the seaweed, a few people had started to see her more than just her reputation. More than just the rumors. Monty was no longer nervous around her, which she almost missed. At least before she could get him to shut up with just a look, but now he never seemed to stop talking. Jasper had been pretty much worshiping the ground she walked on since he woke up, and someone had told him she risked her life to bring him antibiotics. Kat had her suspicions that it was either Octavia, or Wells that had given the boy that impression.

Yes she had technically risked her life, but it really hadn't been that big of a deal. _Not really._ Sure, an acid fog had chased her through the forest, and nearly burned her alive like it had done to Atom, but she survived it. It wasn't like she had given her life to save him. She had just taken a chance, and came out on top.

 _With help,_ her mind reminded her. Lifting her head, Kat looked up into the trees, her eye searching for him. Of course, she couldn't see him. She never did, when she tried looking for him. She really didn't even know if he was _watching_ , other than the fact that she felt like she was being watched. Much like that first day on earth, the hairs on her arm stood on end, as if she could feel his eyes following her around camp. Each time goosebumps raised across her bare arms, she would turn to look over the wall as if to find him there within the tree limbs, watching.

It was just a feeling she had, nothing concrete. Other than the fact that he had taken back his jacket, she had no real proof he was there. She knew he had taken it though, because of the fact that she had hid it well enough in the brush that the other kids wouldn't have spotted it, unless they had been looking for it. And since she hadn't seen anyone around camp wearing it, told her he had followed her back to camp, and retrieved it after she hid it.

Kat tossed a nut into the air, and caught it with her mouth, and grinned triumphantly.

"Careful, you might choke," Finn said with a grin, and snatched a nut from her palm, and tossed it into the air to catch it with his own mouth before she could react.

"Hey!" she said with a mock glare. It was hard to stay mad at Finn with that crooked smile he sent her way.

The guy was just a funny guy, always trying to lighten the mood when things got serious around camp. And according to Wells, Finn was apparently a lightweight. After she had returned back to camp and noticed the tension between Clark and Wells had grown thicker in her absence. Well had been reluctant to say anything at first, but in the end, he spilled that the three of them had ended up locked in a car underground, when the fog caught up with them. While stuck in there, Finn had found some alcohol, and had brought the bottle back to camp with them. He offered to share with her and Monty, saying Wells and Clarke were not allowed to partake under any circumstances.

Finn just grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively before he jogged off to find Clarke. Those two seemed inseparable, and Kat had spied them sneaking out of camp together every day over the last three days.

Something Kat hadn't done since the night she had returned with the seaweed. Finding the jacket missing had spooked her enough to keep her staying close. The most she had done was carve her tree with each day passing, but never ventured far from the wall of the camp.

Today that was going to change, however. She had put it off too long and she wanted- _no_ , she needed to know if he was out there. She needed to know, that she wasn't losing her mind, and jumping at shadows for nothing. She had been a prisoner long enough, she wasn't about to let some grounder keep her locked up after she was given freedom.

Kat finished the rest of her breakfast, more nuts and berries as they were low on meat again with the lack of weapons, and hunting skills made it hard for them to hunt regularly, and often enough to feed the entire camp. Bellamy was actually out with Murphy hunting again today. He had even made a big show of promising everyone that he would come back with meat this time.

Turning back to her tent, she reached in for her bag, and slung it over her shoulder. Wells had been nice enough to make her one, after stating that just because they shared a tent, did not mean they shared all their belongings. She adjusted the trap that rested over her shoulder before stepping back outside. She zipped the tent shut to help keep the bugs out, and headed for the wall.

She looked around making sure no one was watching, before moving the panel aside, and slipping out of camp. She gently replaced it, and made her way over to the tree. Crouching down in front of the carved tree that had four nearly identical lines carved about eye level from this position, she reached into her boot and pulled out her shiv. Kat clearly remembered losing the knife in the bunker, when she had been holed up with the grounder. She hadn't remembered to pick it up after the grounder had made her drop it, and it hadn't occurred to her to go back for it when the Fog cleared and they were able to leave. So, it had been a real surprise, and a bit alarming to wake up the day after returning to camp to find her knife sitting on top of her boots.

Kat tried not to dwell on this information though. It had been one of the reasons why she hadn't left the safety of the camp, unsure if the knife being returned had just been a kind gesture, or a warning that he could get in, and out without being seen.

Sighing mostly to herself, Kat pressed the tip of the blade against the tree, and started to carve the mark down into a line that matched the previous four. When she was done, she admired her work. Her cell back on the Ark had eight hundred and fifty one drawn into all four walls. For everyday she spent in her cell, a countdown of sorts really.

Kat climbs to her feet then and stared down at the five lines, her expression unreadable. After a while, she spoke up to break the silence and her voice was hoarse from the barely contained emotions that were brewing just beneath the surface. "Happy birthday Kat- you should be dead today." Her hands tightened into fists at her sides, her fingers curling around the knife in her right hand, till the metal was biting into her palm. "Time to make the most of it from here on out."

She was officially eighteen today.

When she had woken up that morning, she had stared at the roof of her tent for a good long while, as realization of what today really was, had settled over her like a weight. If she had still been on the Ark, the guards would have woken her up and carted her off to her execution. She would have been shoved into the airlock, the door sealed behind her, while the Chancellor, Clarke's mom and the Captain of the guard stood by to watch. She doubted her mother would have bothered to be there. They might have asked her for any last words, or they might have just opened the door to Outer space. It was truly terrifying how close to death she had been.

Kat turned away from the tree then, but she didn't turn back to camp like the days before it, but instead headed further into the trees. She walked silently with her mind lost in her dark thoughts of what today could have been, and what might still happen, while her eyes glanced around at her surroundings, as if looking for something. It wasn't until after she could no longer hear the sounds of the camp, and the silence of the forest surrounded her, that she realized she was looking for _him_. Why she wanted to see him again was unclear, even to her. He could be waiting in this forest to kill her. It didn't make sense though, to rescue her, and then point her in the right direction back to camp, only to end her life a few days later.

But did she really know anything about him? Or how the grounders culture was? Maybe they were interested in the hunt, and he had saved her so that he could hunt her down fairly? _Hell, they could be cannibals_ \- her mind pipped in, and she shook her head roughly. _Jesus Kat… what the hell?_ This was seriously the last thing she needed to be thinking about while traveling through a forest by herself.

Pulled from her thoughts by a sound, Kat looked up with furrowed brows, wondering what it was when he suddenly dropped down in front of her, scaring the hell out of her.

"Jesus fucking Christ," she yelped, stumbling backwards to put some distance between them. Her mind was still stuck on the thought that he could be a cannibal.

Lincoln stood silently there before her, his gaze as intense as she remembered it as he looked at her. Her hand fell away from where it had been gripping the front of her shirt, right over her thundering heart, still in fright at his sudden appearance.

"Hi," she breathed out, and was pleased it hadn't squeaked in the slightest.

His head tilted to the side, but other than that, he didn't respond to the greeting.

Lincoln watched her, watch him. It was strange, this pull he felt when he saw her. She had talked to him a few times when they had been trapped in the bunker, and despite the fact that he never responded, she still tried to talk to him, even now. He wondered if it was a nervous habit, needing to fill the silence with words. Over the past week, he had watched her, and her group, learning a lot about them from just observing them.

He knew that just about everyone didn't trust her, that most feared her. He had heard them whisper to each other, picking up bits, and pieces of the conversation. She had killed someone, and had been locked up for it. The information made him more curious about her, and made him watch her more closely. He followed her each time she left the camp, watched as she carved into the tree, and continued her day within the walls. The carving into the tree seemed like a ritual of sorts. Something only she practiced though, as no other sky people had done the same thing. He still didn't understand the reason behind it, but he wanted to know.

In order to learn that however, he would have to ask her.

Instead, Lincoln indicated towards the forest, and she nodded her head. They started walking then, and he was given the chance to look at her from the peripheral, as they walked side by side now. Instead of from above hidden in the trees looking down at her, or in the darkness of a bunker, or running for their lives from an acid fog. He was able to take his time, looking at her as she seemed distracted by the plants they passed.

She had gained weight since she first arrived on earth, was the first thing he noted. Not much of course, since food was scarce in these parts unless one knew how to hunt well. There was more meat on her bones though, and she didn't look as sickly as she had a few days ago. Her face was rounding more, no longer sharp with gaunt features from malnutrition. Her clothes were looking worse for wear, the material awfully thin, and hung off her frame, as it was a seize too large for her petite figure. Her hair was long, and looking at the way it fell to curtain her face from his stare when she ducked her head, had him itching to reach out, and touch it. It hadn't been groomed properly in some time, but she had at least brushed it since they last spent time together.

She stopped suddenly, and crouched down to push away overgrown ivy to see a plant that had been nearly consumed by the more aggressive one. She pulled back the ivy making room for the smaller plant to get water and sunlight to it, before she was moving on, to collect herbs that could be used for medicine. She would also stop to collect nuts and berries that were edible as well.

He was impressed with her knowledge on what to avoid, and what was helpful. She knew how to cut away at the stems without killing the entire crop so that the plant would be able to grow more for later harvest.

Kat was storing away an herb into her bag when she looked up to find him staring at her again. Her cheeks reddened, and she looked away from him quickly, feeling embarrassed.

Lincoln had caught a glimpse of her eyes, just then, having new gotten the chance to get a real clear view of them before now. He had originally thought they were blue, but now with the sun filtering in through the leaves of the trees overhead, there was a hint of green there, making them the same color as the sea.

"Why are you staring," she asked him, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him again. The flush in her cheeks was gone, and she actually seemed annoyed with him.

Of course he didn't answer her.

Kat didn't know why she kept trying. Sighing heavily, she continued to walk, stopping every once, and a while to collect an herb that would be useful. Clarke had made a request for more antibiotics among other items. Clarke had become their Chief Medical Examiner of sorts, and Kat her gopher. Now that she felt safe traveling beyond the wall, she was trying to gather everything Clarke had been asking for over the last three days.

They didn't travel as far as the river for more seaweed, mostly because Kat wasn't quite ready to go up against the fog again, in case that was a normal occurrence that far north. Instead they stayed within a few miles of camp, only heading back when the sun began to dip low in the sky.

"Thank you, for walking with me," she said with a genuine smile.

It had been nice, even if he didn't talk to her. His company was reassuring enough. He didn't need to talk, she did enough for the both of them really. Sometimes she got the impression that he was playing dumb, not answering her question so that she couldn't say for sure he understood what she was saying. There were times though; she would see something in those light brown eyes of his that told her otherwise.

He knew and understood a lot more than he was willing to let on. She let him have his secrets though, not prying him for actual information. "This is a better birthday than I expected to have, so thank you." They were nearing the camp, and she could hear faint voices through the darkness.

Lincoln stopped walking, when he realized where they were the same time she did.

"So, I guess this is goodbye," she said, and turned to face him then. She tipped her head up, trying to see his face in the darkness. She wished he would take the mask off so that she could see him. "Um- see you tomorrow?" She really didn't expect a response, so when he nodded his head before turning, and walking away, Kat was left standing there between two trees with her mouth hanging open in shock.

He was gone before she could call him out on it. "I knew it," she said, and shook her head with a small smile playing on her lips. She clicked her teeth together, considering why he remained silent when he knew what she was saying this whole time. Turning on her heels, Kat headed back towards camp, keeping to the trees till she spotted the loose panel. It was really dark this side of the wall with the torches only lit near the gate. She was walking with her arms held out in front of her, trying to navigate when her boot caught on something solid, and she fell, face first into a bed of leaves.

"Damn that hurt," she groaned, her hand reaching up to touch her face. Her upper lip felt split like she had cut it on her teeth, and her nose throbbed from taking the brunt of her fall. Her hand came away wet with her blood, and she groaned.

 _Just great_.

"What the hell did I trip over," she muttered, annoyed since there hadn't been anything there that morning. Which meant it had been left there by someone, or placed there on purpose. She crawled forward, her hands feeling the grass, and leaves until they connected with something solid.

Her fingers hesitated the moment she realized it wasn't a fallen branch or stump. It was large and solid. It was wide across, and dressed in a filthy jacket, and ratty clothes that were normal issue from the Ark. Old hand me downs passed from generation to generation.

Kat's eyes adjusted, and she was able to focus on the body before her. She knew it was a body, but the moment she recognized him, had a horrified sound escaping her.

"No!" She shrieked and she grabbed at Wells' jacket, her fingers finding it saturated in blood. "No no no no."

She hadn't realized she had been shrieking loud enough to draw attention from the camp. Lighted torches blinded her as people from within the walls swarmed in at the sound of her screams. Bellamy was the first to arrive; stopping short at the sight of Kat crouched next to Wells' body soaked in his blood, and what looked like her own. Others arrived, followed by Clarke, Finn, Octavia, Jasper and Monty.

Kat vaguely registered Clarke's expression, the devastation, the pain, and then anger.

"What did you do," Bellamy demanded, suddenly in her face. He grabbed her by her jacket, and lifted her up to her feet. His face was twisted into a snarl.

"Why!" Clarke demanded, and she fell to her knees beside her friend, her head shaking back, and forth as she began to cry.

Kat could only shake her head _no_. They thought she did it? _Why wouldn't they_ , her mind tried to argue. She killed her dad, so why not the only person in camp, who had tried to befriend her?

Tears filled her eyes, and she started crying. Wells had been her friend. Despite who his father was, despite who he was. He had wormed his way in, and found a place there. "Oh god," she whispered, and wrenched herself free of Bellamy's grip.

"What the hell Bellamy," Octavia yelled, suddenly appearing at Kat's side, and moving her away from, the body and from the angry faces of the group. They looked ready to string her up, and execute her. "Kat never would have hurt Wells, and you know that."

Kat looked at Octavia, barely hearing her words as her world seemed to mute, and everything else became white noise. _Shock_ , her mind tried to tell her. She was going into shock. Her eyes fell onto Wells, and more tears came, and she shuddered with a sob.

"Yea well if she didn't kill him, who did," Bellamy demanded. "As far as I know, she's the only killer here."

Monty and Jasper came to her defense then, standing between her, and the lynch mob as they shouted their agreements.

"Hey back off!" Monty said forcefully, blocking Murphy before he could try to wedge himself through to get at her.

"Come on Kat, let's go," Octavia tried to get her to follow her. She took Kat by the arm, leading her away, and into the camp. Monty and Jasper followed, acting like bodyguards.

Kat found herself ushered into her tent, and the door zipped shut. Within the safety of hers and Wells tent, her legs finally gave out, and Kat sagged to the ground, and cried even harder. She had always been so mean to him, had tried so hard to push him away. And despite all that, he had always been nice to her. She should have tried to be his friend.

"You two stay with her, make sure no one comes in," Octavia said, and left the tent quickly.

Both Monty and Jasper looked uncomfortable with a crying Kat on their hands, but they made due. They helped her to bed, and removed her boots, trying not to comment on the knife she kept there. It was only because it wasn't bloody that they didn't worry too much on it. Why clean the knife, and not yourself and then let yourself get caught next to the body right?

Made sense to them.

Plus, over the last three days they had spent a lot of time with Kat and Wells, and knew that even though they fought occasionally, it was over stupid stuff. And it was mostly Wells just trying to get a rise out of Kat to see if she could keep herself under control.

"I'm so sorry Kat," Monty whispered, and he knew it wasn't something she wanted to hear, but he had to say it anyway, if only for himself really. Jasper helped him tuck her into the sleeping bag, and it was by then that Octavia came back with water and some food to feed her.

Both Monty and Jasper left after that, promising to come back after they collected their own sleeping bags. The three stayed with Kat all night, making sure no one tried to hurt her during the night. Rumors spread, that Kat had killed the only person who had been nice to her.

By morning however, the rumors had changed into something entirely different.

* * *

 _ **AN: Tada! Next chapter and so soon! Yes indeed. Hope you liked it.. and please... don't kill me over Wells. I cried when I killed him.. and my sister gives me death glares since she totally shipped Wells and Kat XD... But nope, Lincoln and Kat all the way! haha**_

 _ **So let me know what you think, did you like/love/ hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out**_


	7. Chapter Six

**Rumors**

 **Chapter six**

Kat hardly slept the night before. Tossing and turning, her mind was a whirlwind of disjointed thoughts, and pain. By the afternoon, she gave up. Jasper had told her the others no longer thought she killed Wells, but that the grounders had.

Sitting up in bed, Kat rubbed her face with her hands. She was still covered in blood, his and hers. It had dried overnight, the rusted stains on her hands, and clothes probably made her look like a killer.

"I need to get out of here," she said to herself. Sitting in this tent she could only think about Wells. About him sitting on his bed across from hers, laughing at her expense, or teasing her about how filthy she looked. She'd retaliate that he didn't exactly smell like a rose either.

Her eyes ached as more tears wanted to fall at the memory, but she had no more to shed. They had soaked her sleeping bag, and the cushions of her bed last night. She was exhausted, but needed to walk and to get fresh air. She needed to clear her head. And most of all she needed to see _Him_.

Standing up from her bed, Kat didn't bother to collect her bag. Jasper had been rather sweet that morning, and had emptied her bag out, to try and distract her from her grief over Wells by asking her what plant was what, and what it was used for. It had worked for a while. What didn't help, was that she kept expecting Wells to come through the tent door, and flop down onto his bed, feeling bone tired, but still willing to join in on their conversation. He had been a good friend. Too good of one for someone like her, who hadn't really appreciated his friendship until it was too late.

In the end Jasper had left her alone, letting her grieve in peace. All of them; Monty, Jasper, and Octavia had been nice, and strangely caring for her last night. She really didn't know how to feel about it. Kat had just started to get to know all of them, including Wells. Had considered them growing acquaintances since she really didn't understand the dynamics of friendships anymore. After being hated and feared for so long, it was hard to tell if someone cared. Or if she cared more than she let on.

"Jesus Kat, enough," she muttered to herself, and walked away from her bed at last. She needed air. And time to think.

Kat looked around the camp, her eyes taking in as everyone seemed busy working. She had become the unofficial herb gatherer, the only thing anyone was willing to trust her to do, since it meant she didn't work with anyone else. No one wanted her help with manning the wall, cooking or whatever other chores that had been given out that day. Kat hadn't bothered to ask Octavia what she did with her days, but she saw her mostly hanging around Jasper and Monty. Kat knew that Monty had enlisted Jasper's help in trying to make a radio to communicate with the Ark. So far they had come up with nothing.

Kat couldn't see them when she glanced around the busy camp, and figured they had to be in the dropship, or maybe near the fire pit eating lunch. The thought of food had her stomach growling, but she couldn't even think about eating right at that moment.

No one had seen her yet and Kat was truly grateful for that. She really couldn't handle the looks today. Or the questions. Slipping between the tents, Kat made her way to the panel, and snuck out of the camp unseen. She walked away from the wall, her arms crossed over herself as if to fight back a chill despite the warmth in the air around her.

She had barely made it into the protective covering of the trees when she heard the familiar thump of a body dropping from the trees, and landing behind her. Automatically she whirled around, unsure who to expect but a part of her knew who it would be.

His hands were on her shoulders before she had registered him standing there in front of her, and then she felt his fingers touching her nose which was still bruised, and covered in dried blood from last night. It wasn't broken, but he checked anyway. Once he was relieved she wasn't seriously injured, his hands fell away, and he took a step back from her.

Kat had just stood there, and let him inspect her. She hadn't voiced a complaint, or concern. _He could have had something to do with Wells' death, and you let him touch you._ She barely even let Wells touch her. Human contact was unusual for her as it usually brought discomfort or pain. Even before the skybox, and the rough handling of the guards, human contact had been scarce. The few times her mother held her, had been the only comfort she knew, and those times were rare, and from when she was really young. Vague childhood memories of being loved.

Her eyes searched his, as if she could read the truth there in his covered face. She saw concern, in the way his eyes had softened in their intensity as he returned her stare. It probably had something to do with the way she looked.

They were too close to the camp for to her demand answers, not that she expected him to give her any, but she was going to try none the less. She had to know.

Turning on her heels, Kat started walking. She moved further into the trees, putting distance between her, and the camp walls until she no longer could hear the voices, or the steady noise as people went about their daily chores. The steady crunch of leaves behind her told her he followed, and kept up with her. When she stopped, so did he.

Kat turned to face him once she was sure they wouldn't be overheard. Her eyes scanned the trees anyway, wondering if someone might stumble across them. But the others hardly left camp, and the few that did to go on hunts, traveled south of the wall to avoid running into the fog and because food was scarcer this side of the wall.

Looking at him, her eyes moved over his form, and realized with a start that he wasn't wearing his thick camouflage layers like he had the two other times she'd seen him. He dressed in his usual dark clothes that had rips and tears from being worn for years, and not cared for properly. A few of the tears though had been mended, while others hadn't been bothered with. His jacket was thick, like a dark green military cargo jacket of sorts. She's seen pictures of them once, but knew those hadn't been decorated with bones like his was. He had made his fingerless gloves a line of small bones poking up across his knuckles, and along his forearms. Like they were spiked gloves.

 _Those would give him an edge in a fight_ , she thought to herself.

Kat swallowed the rising lump in her throat, and she quickly looked away from him.

Lincoln just waited patiently, with his expression unreadable.

"Did you-" she started, and was annoyed to hear her voice come out rough and croaky. Clearing her throat she tried again. "Did you have anything to do with Wells' death?" She turned her eyes back to him then, waiting for an answer. He didn't say anything of course. If anything he acted like he didn't even understand the question.

Her hands tightened into fists at her side, and she closed her eyes to fight back the pain. "He was my friend. He was killed last night. Did your people kill him?" she asked again, trying to keep her voice even, and void of emotions. Her eyes opened then and she directed her pleading gaze to him. She might be able to keep her voice sounding impartial, but the storm of emotions in her gaze told otherwise.

There was a brief pause between them, before Lincoln shook his head to the question.

The relief she felt was immense. She didn't understand why she trusted him. Maybe it was because he had never given her any reason not to trust him. He had every opportunity to kill her and Wells for that matter. That he would wait, and do it now seemed unbelievable. But she hadn't trusted her own thoughts, or feelings on the matter. But seeing him deny the accusation, cemented her beliefs. That meant someone in the camp had killed Wells.

Kat new she couldn't say anything to anyone about it. For one they wouldn't believe her, and on the off chance that they did, she would be the most likely suspect. Though Kat was starting to think it was Murphy. He seemed like the most possible one, with the most motives. It wasn't a secret how much Murphy hated Wells.

"Thank you for answering my question," Kat said softly. Her voice trembled, and she closed her eyes when she felt the burn of tears threatening to fall again. It seemed she wasn't done grieving. Would she ever?

Lincoln approached her then, his hands coming up, and he pulled her into a hug. Kat sagged into his body the moment his arms closed around her, and she pressed her face into his jacket. Her body trembled from the emotions, but no tears would come.

It was a few minutes before she managed to rein in her grief, and she slowly extracted herself from his hold. He didn't release her completely, but slid his fingers down over the sleeves of her jacket, and took hold on her hand in his.

He started to pull her west, in a direction that ran along a path of trees she was unfamiliar with. She always tried to take the same paths she had before so not to get herself lost. Her sense of direction was minimal at best. But she trusted him, and she let him drag her through the forest until they reached a river.

This one came from a waterfall that fell from a cliff high above them. The scenery was beautiful, and Kat found herself standing beside him, her mind finally distracted from her grief to take in its beauty. She hadn't seen anything quite like it. This close to the shore, she could feel the spray of the waterfall on her skin, and it felt wonderful. _Running water._ When had been the last time she showered? Not since the skybox, that was for sure. It might have even been a few days before they had been sent to earth even.

Lincoln released her hand, and stepped away, his feet carrying him closer to the shore. He had scoped out the area earlier that morning, and knew it would be safe. He'd seen the way she would pick at her hair, and clothes like they grossed her out. Had known she would enjoy a moment to bathe. Lincoln had hoped to surprise her with it.

Now however, he wondered if he should have waited. She was grieving over that boy. The one she shared her tent with. He understood grief over the loss of a friend, of a loved one. He knew she needed something to help her move on, and he hoped this might help.

Lincoln reached up, and pulled the mask he had worn to help him blend into the trees, off and set it aside on the large rocks he stood near. Next, he undid the clasps on his jacket, and slipped his arms out of the sleeves, and set it down. He slowly removed each layer of clothing until he stood there in only the shorts he wore under his pants. He turned to look back at her then, and found her watching him.

Kat had forgotten how to breathe. The scene before her had taken her breath away, but then catching sight of the grounder undressing had made her forget how to breathe. His mask was gone, and for the first time she was able to look at him. All of him. Her eyes greedily moved over his face, and then down his body as he removed each layer.

He was handsome, in a wild way. His skin was like milk chocolate, stretched over hardened muscles. Not an ounce of fat on his tall 6'2 frame. He might have been on the thin side, but it only made the muscles that lined his arms, torso and legs stand out more prominently. With his clothes off, she could see tribal tattoos. There was one on each arm below his armpits reaching to about his elbows. Another one on his chest from his collar bone, and stopping between his nipples. The last one she could see was on the back of his head, on the right side, but she couldn't really tell what is was other than it seemed to reach up around his right ear, down to his jaw line and neck.

He had a strong jaw, darkened with a day's growth of hair but it only seemed to add to his rugged earthy appeal. His head was cleanly shaved except for a patch along the top of his head, where the hair there had been shaved short into a Mohawk down the center.

Kat was startled when he lifted his hand, and held it out to her. It was obvious what he wanted, but she found herself asking, "What are you doing?"

Was it even safe to be out here?

His hand dropped then, and he turned away from her without answering her question. Next, he removed the shorts her wore under his pants, and she was able to see the smooth curve of his ass, and another tattoo that ran from the back of his neck and down his back, before he was walking into the river. The water was about chest deep on him when he got near the waterfall, and he turned to her again, his expression open.

Kat hesitated a moment longer, debating the pros and cons of going into the water after hearing stories of what happened to Octavia. She doubted he would take her to one with a river monster in it, and take the chance of getting either of them eaten. She licked her lips nervously, the idea of feeling clean, too tempting.

Her fingers tugged at her jacket, and she tossed it to join his clothes near the rocks. She had to unlace her boots, and kick them off before she could get her socks, and pants off.

It felt good, the light breeze, and dusting of mist on her bare skin. She was in her bra and underwear, a pair of boy shorts and sports bra that didn't match together, now. One had to take what they could get, and there wasn't much that fit her besides kid's clothes for undergarments, back on the Ark.

Though lately, she had noticed her clothes had finally started to fit snug on her. Something else to worry about since she didn't have any spares. She no longer looked bony and emaciated at least. Her hip bone still protruded a little, but her ribs no longer made her look gauntly. It had been sickening to look at, and she was pleased to find more meat on her bones, even if most of it was turning into muscles. All that walking, and running she did was paying off.

Kat unhooked the straps on her bra and slipped her arms out and set them aside. Her underwear was next, leaving her naked standing there on the rocks. When she looked at him, she caught him staring. He never seemed shy about it, or embarrassed when she found him looking at her.

Right now, she wasn't angry that he was, just worried about what he might be thinking. There was that intense look in his eyes again, and it was making her nervous more than anything.

Kat moved to the water, and stepped in, only to flinch at how cold it was. In the end, she pushed forward regardless, and stood waist deep. Kat didn't know how to swim and she was reluctant to move any deeper into the water. She had read books, and seen movies on swimming, but that was nothing like the real deal. Fear gripped her, and she refused to move from her spot.

Lincoln noticed the hesitation, and he moved towards her, and took her hands in his beneath the water. Kat licked her lips nervously, before she looked up at him.

Lincoln hadn't been able to take his eyes off her. Though that might have started from the moment she stepped off the dropship for the first time trying to wrestle her way out of the harness. But now, he could feel his heart beating a little faster, and his skin tingling from where he held her hands. Seeing her naked had caused his cock to stir and harden, and his body to flush with arousal despite the chilled water he was submerged in.

She was beautiful.

With the way, the sunlight made her hair seem more auburn than red, like the color the leaves turned in the fall, and the way the strands fell around her face in thick waves. Even with the bruise forming along her nose, the split lip and the dirt that smudged her pale face. She was beautiful.

"I- I don't know how to swim," she explained her reluctance.

Lincoln nodded without words, but his grip on her hands seemed firm as if to reassure her and Kat actually felt herself relax. He wouldn't let her drown.

He tugged her towards him, easing her further into the water until it was up to her chest. He managed to hide his disappointment when her breasts disappeared beneath the surface of the water. They had been smooth and firm looking, the nipples hardened into rose colored beads thanks to the cold. He wanted to taste them, but refrained from doing so. He didn't think she would appreciate him molesting her.

His hands released their hold on hers and he slid his fingers up her arm and over her shoulder. Water cascaded down her pale skin, and he repeated the motion. His fingers slowly rubbed into her skin, washing away the week worth of sweat and dirt. She slowly began to relax, her eyes closing when he cupped water into his palms, and poured it over her head to wet the rest of her hair.

Kat felt the grief, anger, nervousness and fear slowly wash away from her body as he worked. She didn't know anything about this man, other than he was caring, and gentle with her. That he was a bit of a pervert staring at naked young girls, but that surprisingly hadn't seemed to bother her. Kat turned her back to him, giving him access to her shoulders as he washed away the filth.

It just felt so damn good.

She felt his hands dip below the surface, his fingers ghosting over her lower back, and around the front of her. He seemed emboldened by the sounds she made, his fingers covering more skin. It wasn't sexual, at least not completely. She would be stupid to think there wasn't something arousing about the way his hands felt on her. The way they would linger on the scars she had gotten over her short eighteen years of life.

Turning in his arms, Kat opened her eyes, and tipped her head back to look at him. There was heat in his stare, but he didn't act on it, and Kat was grateful. She knew she would get lost in the emotions she was feeling if he did, and right now she didn't need that kind of distraction. Feeling brave, Kat reached out and touched the tattoo over his chest in front of her.

They were dark blue. She could see the coloring better now, being this close to the markings. It was a simple tattoo with no intricate designs much like all the ones he had except, for maybe the one on his left arm. But even it was simple in its own way. Tribal, was the best way she could describe them.

Lincoln let her touch him, his eyes following her hands as they felt out his skin, touching over his markings and scars. She seemed curious, and hesitant unlike his own bolder touches. Occasionally, she would look up at him as if to ask for permission. Not that he gave permission, but the look in his eyes seemed to give her the answer she wanted, and she would continue to explore his body with her hands.

Reaching out with his own hands, he gently cupped her face within his palms, and his thumb gently moved over the dried blood around her nose and mouth. Her breath came out in soft puffs of air, ghosting over his skin when he ran his thumb carefully over her full bottom lip. The urge to taste her was great, and it took every strength of will he had to let her go, and step away.

Kat felt like she had just run a marathon. The way her heart was racing beneath her rib cage, the way her lungs ached like they were starved for oxygen. She licked her lips, and she didn't taste the blood or dirt there. Her skin was tingling everywhere he had touched her.

He held his hand out to her then, and Kat took it without any hesitation. He led her out of the water, and back to the shore where their clothes had been discarded.

Kat slowly dressed while he did the same. She hated putting her filthy clothes back onto her clean body, but there was little choice in the matter. She wasn't about to walk around in the forest naked. Not in these woods, or anywhere near camp.

"Thank you- I really needed that," she said once they were dressed.

She had grown used to his silent answers, and this time was not any different. She wanted to know who he was, and why he cared. More than anything she wanted to know his name. She hadn't asked for it, mainly because she was afraid he wouldn't answer her. That he didn't trust her with that information. Her mind tried to reason that he had no reason to trust her. She had pulled a knife on him, had even tried to use it on him at one time. Her people were intruders, most likely the enemy to his people. Why would he trust her?

Before she could say anything more, Kat heard her name being called.

They both reacted to the sound in different ways. Kat stiffened, her head turning to strain her ears to see if she recognized the voices. Beside her, he had reached for a weapon, reacting to the different voices as a threat.

"That's- Jasper and Octavia," she said mostly to herself. "They must be worried about me. I should go."

She sighed out loud, and bent to reach for her jacket. She slipped her arms into the sleeves, and zipped it up along the middle. Turning her head, she looked over at him, and for the first time since she tripped over Wells' body, a smile played on her lips. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

Lincoln searched her face briefly, before he nodded his head yes to the question. He wasn't following the rules. Had been breaking them left and right actually. The way he felt about this girl, could have him labeled as a traitor, not to mention if anyone found out he had saved her life. Despite all that, he looked forward to seeing her again. He watched her dart into the trees, following the sounds of her people calling for her.

 **OoOoO**

Bellamy didn't trust anyone. Not his second in command, who seemed to have his own agenda, not the Princess who seemed to defy him every chance she got, not his sister who snuck out to see that Jasper boy, and most definitely not Katarina Mason. He trusted her the least out of anyone in the group.

Being a guard, even for the brief time he had been training to be one, he had heard about the famous, Katarina Mason. She might be just a slip of a girl, beautiful under all that dirt and filth, but he knew a killer when he saw one. It didn't matter that his sister tried to convince him otherwise. Octavia was always standing up for Kat, even before they had started hanging out. It probably had something to do with kindred spirts, or some such nonsense.

He didn't understand how people had started to warm up to her. Kat was a killer. She had killed her own father for no reason. It was like everyone had forgotten this information when she came back with the seaweed, and saved Jasper's life.

Bellamy knew he wasn't much better. Having shot and killed the Chancellor before hopping onto the dropship, and escaping to earth to be with his sister. He was a killer just as much as she was. But he had killed for a reason. To save his sister, and to allow him passage onto the dropship so that he could help her. There was a line, one didn't cross. You don't hurt the ones you love, and Kat had crossed that line.

So when Octavia had come to him, asking if he had seen Kat, Bellamy had followed the search party out into the woods to look for their missing member. Kat had snuck out of the camp a few times in the past, but this time, after Wells' death it had everyone on edge. Bellamy figured she was making a run for it, before evidence was found that she had been the one to kill him. His sister and her motley crew of nerds, were concerned for their friend's safety, since they believed the rumors.

Everyone had been so easily turned on the idea that a grounder had killed Wells, but Bellamy wasn't so sure. The grounders hadn't approached their camp yet, so why now? And only to kill Wells? It made no sense. No, he was sure it was Kat. She played nice with the Chancellor's son, but Bellamy saw the fear, the distrust there. She still saw his father, just like the rest of them, and she hadn't been able to deal with it.

Bellamy trailed behind the group, not bothering to call out her name as they did. He was surprised however, when she came running up to them, from the North direction, slightly out of breath and clean looking.

Suspicious, he looked her over, and realized that under her dirty clothes, her skin had been washed clean, and her hair was still wet. There was something going on here, and Bellamy was going to get to the bottom of it.

The next day, Bellamy had made sure he woke before anyone else, and stood hidden in the shadows, watching Kat's tent. He didn't have to wait long, before the sun had started to rise, when he saw her slip out silently. He knew Octavia, Jasper and Monty were still sleeping inside, her small group of friends doing what they could to protect her from the rest of the delinquents.

Bellamy kept to the shadows, following her through the loose panel in the wall to escape unnoticed. He made a note to have that fixed as soon as he got back. He followed her out, keeping several paces back so not to alert her to his presence.

He didn't know what to expect by following her. But seeing her meet up with a grounder, had definitely not been something to cross his mind as a possibility. Bellamy stayed put, hunkered down behind a thick tree trunk as his only cover as he watched the two of them. He knew it was a grounder the moment he saw the man drop from the trees. The man was dressed in camouflage, and his face was obscured by dark paint outlining his eyes.

The grounder reached into the lining of his jacket, and pulled out a flower and held it out to Kat. Bellamy looked between the two as Kat took the flower, and tucked it behind her ear. The two then started off North, but he didn't bother to follow them.

He had been sure she had killed Wells. That she had to be involved somehow. He just hadn't realized she was involved with helping the grounders too. Furious, Bellamy returned to camp, and called for Murphy, and Conner to join him. Out of anyone, he trusted the two of them, but only to follow his orders as long as he gave them no room to wiggle.

"I need your help with something," Bellamy said once they were out of earshot of the camp. "We're going to catch us a grounder and a rat."

Bellamy then went over the details of his plan with the both of them.

It was nearing nightfall, when they finally heard the pair returning.

 **OoOoO**

Kat was fingering the flower Lincoln had gifted her, a small smile playing on her lips as they headed back to camp. They stopped near the place they had met up earlier that morning, and Kat tipped her head to look up at him. They hadn't done much other than visited the meadow she had seen on her first trip on earth. They had mostly spent time in each other's company enjoying the silence, and the sun on their faces. She kind of liked how there was no need to fill the silence with idle chitchat. Something she always felt the need to do when she was around others.

Kat lifted her head to say goodnight to him, when an arm suddenly grabbed her from behind, pulling her back against a firm chest, and a hand going over her mouth to stifle her startled scream. In front of her, Lincoln had reacted by pulling his knife, only to be struck from behind, the tree branch cracking against his skull, and dropping him to his knees.

Kat screamed against the hand, the noise muffled. She kicked and flailed, trying to break free of the hold on her.

"Shut her up," Bellamy shouted, and brought the branch down on the disoriented grounder a second time, effectively incapacitating him.

The hands on her wrenched her around, and before Kat could get her bearings she was thrown against the tree behind her, the side of her head slamming into the trunk. She grunted, and dropped next to Lincoln with a groan of pain.

"There that's better," Murphy sneered, his expression twisted into a cruel smirk.

It was the last thing she saw before she blacked out.

* * *

 _ **AN: Woo look at me go! So soon too, what is the world coming too? Ha! Hope you guys liked it ^^ I already have this whole story written now, finally figuring out how I wanted it to go, and end. Let me know what you think, I really appreciate it.**_

 _ **Did you like/love/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out**_


	8. Chapter Seven

**Rumors**

 **Chapter seven**

Kat started to come to, when they reached the camp. It was the sound of the gate opening, that had her lifting her head up from the ground. She winced at the pain that throbbed from the side, where her head had made contact with the tree. She was being dragged behind someone, with a rope looped under her arms, and she could feel the corded material digging into her armpits, making the skin feel raw. Her vision distorted, and she looked around seeing Murphy's profile as he adjusted his grip on the rope that pulled tight over his shoulder, so that he could continue hauling her through the opened gate.

As they crossed the threshold, she saw faces, many of them familiar. She had gotten to know some of them personally, others she had learned from a distance. They were shouting and cursing at her, calling out for blood. _Her blood._ For the _grounder's blood_.

 _No_.

Kat turned her head, her vision sharpening as her eyes focused on Lincoln's prone form being dragged between Bellamy, and Conner. They had his arms slung over their shoulders, his long legs dragging behind them since he was dead weight, being unconscious as he was. There was a cut on his head where Bellamy had beaten him with the branch, with blood pouring from the open wound.

Rage filled her, and she started struggling against the rope, finding her hands had been tied in front of her. She hadn't noticed since she could no longer feel her fingers, with the rope tied tight enough to cut off the circulation.

"What the hell are you doing?" Clarke suddenly appeared, blocking the view between Kat and Lincoln. Clarke had directed her attention to Bellamy, her hands fisted at her sides. Finn stood a step back from her, waiting to intervene if he needed too.

"Get out of my way Princess," Bellamy said tightly. "I'm just getting the justice you asked for."

"Justice?"

Bellamy shifted his grip on the grounder, and indicated to the unconscious man with a tip of his head. "He's been lurking outside the camp walls. We're going to find out if he had anything to do with Wells' death," he answered.

"And her?" Finn inquired waving a hand to Kat. She had stopped struggling, finding the action futile, and that it was just wearing her out. The ropes were too tight, and Murphy had threatened to knock her out again if she didn't knock it off.

"Caught her with him," Bellamy stated, and the camp seemed to grow silent at his words.

Kat looked back, and forth between Clarke and Finn, her eyes coming to rest on Clarke when the girl had turned to face her. There was a look of betrayal there in the blonde's features. Kat knew what Clarke thinking. What they were all thinking. That they had killed Wells together.

"No-," she began to deny it, and Murphy moved in, and kicked her in the side, knocking the air from her lungs. Her body curled into the injury, her mouth opening in a silent cry of pain. It took her several gasps, before she was able to catch her breath.

Turning her head, she watched as Clarke stepped aside, and Kat was being dragged through the camp again towards the dropship.

 _This can't be happening. It can't be!_

She fought them as they dragged her to the upper level, getting a good kick in at Dax who had stepped in to help Murphy with her. In the end, it was pointless as she found herself shoved into a seat, and they were strapping her into the chair with the harness. Next, Conner and Bellamy were getting the grounder through the hatch, and tying him up like some kind of offering. His body was still limp, with his arms tied tight, and stretched out on either side of him.

"We had nothing to do with Wells' death," Kat said, her voice rough, and barely above a whisper.

Bellamy looked away from the captured grounder to look at her. "Doesn't matter really, right? He's the enemy. Or did you forget what he did to Jasper?" he asked her, his expression serious. There was a hard look in his eyes that made Kat nervous.

"He- he didn't hurt Jasper," Kat said with an assurance she couldn't back with proof. Deep down, she knew he hadn't been there when Jasper had been hurt. She had thought it over carefully, realizing he must have been the shadow in the opening of the bunker. The reason why she had felt like she was being watched from the moment they landed on earth. Because he had been watching the camp, not Clarke, and the others.

"Can't really prove that can you," Bellamy stated as if he could read her mind. She pressed her lips together, neither agreeing, nor denying it either.

Bellamy just nodded his head, and turned back towards the grounder. "That's what I thought."

Murphy and Conner stood on either side of Kat now, having decided to stick around for what was coming. Everyone else had been directed to wait outside, while Bellamy got his answers. Kat struggled against the harness, but froze when she heard a sound from across the room. She looked over at the unconscious man who was just starting to wake up, and wished he wouldn't wake up. At least until she figured a way out of this mess.

Bellamy backed up a step as Lincoln lifted his head slowly, his eyes blinking open to look at him. Kat bit her lip at the sight of his face, her heart lurching heavily in her chest. His right eye looked swollen shut, the eyelid not lifting like the other, but stayed half-mast. Blood coated the side of his face from the wound across the side of his head. His one good eye looked around the room, and his expression was pinched with pain. When his gaze landed on her, his legs seemed to find the strength to lift himself up, and he stood there, with his arms straining against the rope.

"Please," Kat begged, her eyes moving towards Bellamy now, and pleading with him.

Bellamy glanced her way, but his face was set in stone, and she couldn't see any guilt, or remorse in what he planned to do. He turned from them both, and headed to where they had laid Lincoln's belongings that consisted of; his jacket, a book, and the container that held the medical supplies he used on Kat. Kat frowned when she saw the book Bellamy picked up first. She recognized the leather, and the clasp, as the sketchbook she found in the bunker on her first day here.

Turning her eyes over to Lincoln, she caught him looking at her, his expression neutral, though she could see a hint of concern in his eyes, as he looked over her injuries.

Bellamy flipped through the pages in the book, coming to one on the dropship. "You've been watching us for a while," He said, looking at Lincoln when he spoke. He indicated to the tally marks on the page next to a drawing of their camp. "Is this your doing?" He pointed to the crossed off tallies. There were what looked like a hundred tallies on the entire page, and along the top were six crossed out. Each crossed off tally to go with the six graves buried behind the camp.

Lincoln didn't respond to the question, but continued to stare straight ahead. He had directed his gaze to a spot across the wall, focusing on it to help him keep calm under the pressure. That didn't stop his heart from picking up its pace, and his arms tensing against the rope to try, and pull it free.

Bellamy ground his teeth together, and pulling his arm back, punched the other man across the jaw. Lincoln grunted, his head whipping to the side from the blow. Blood trickled from the split lip the blow of his knuckles had made.

From her seat, Kat jerked against her restraints, startling the boys to look in her direction as she tried to break free with a vengeance.

"Stop it! Please stop Bellamy!"

Bellamy responded to her protests by following it with two more blows across the man's face, jerking his head back and forth. Besides a pained grunt, Lincoln remained unfazed by the injuries, his gaze always returning to the place on the wall as if he wasn't bleeding from multiple cuts, and his face wasn't swelling with bruises already.

Kat stopped struggling against the harness with a frustrated cry, her body sagging in the chair, as helplessness settled over her. Her body was trembling, with her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Did you kill Wells? Are your people out there watching us?" Bellamy started in again with the questioning. Firing them off, and then pointing to the tallies in the sketchbook. "Answer me!" He struck Lincoln over, and over again.

"Stop it! Please just _stop_!" Kat shouted over his voice, as Bellamy started repeating the questions a second time. "He had nothing to do with Wells' murder. He was with me! He doesn't understand what you're asking, because he can't speak our language Bellamy." She was shaking with a mixture of fear and rage, as she tried to get the man to see reason.

Beside her, Murphy sneered, and he shoved her back into her seat. "Just shut up Killer, like we would trust a word you say," he said with a disgusted look.

There was pounding on the closed hatch then, startling the group, and Murphy went over to answer it after a nod from Bellamy. Clarke appeared, her expression haunted as she looked between Kat, and Lincoln. Like she was trying to see how bad things had gotten up here, but not really wanting to know either.

She first looked over at Lincoln, her features twisting at the sight of his bloodied, and bruised face. Swallowing hard, she moved towards Kat, and crouched down to her level. It took her a moment, to steel her nerves, before she was even able to speak to the restrained girl.

"Kat," Clarke said softly, using the girl's first name for a change, and her hand reached out towards her.

Kat jerked back from the touch, and if she had been able to, she would have punched Clarke's pretty little face in. "Don't touch me," she snapped, her eyes glaring with pure hatred for the other girl.

Clarke pulled away from her, her eyes averting to the side. "Kat we're just trying to get justice for Wells. If he-" and she indicated to Lincoln with a wave of her hand. "Had nothing to do with it, then one of his people did. We're just trying to get answers."

"Justice? You call this justice?" Kat said with a sneer. "None of you are any better than Chancellor Jaha with your so-called justice!" She looked between Bellamy and Clarke, her eyes burning with her barely contained rage for the injustice the two of them had placed on Lincoln, and herself. "You call him a savage, and me a monster… That we're the killers. But you're wrong. You are the monster, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and he is the savage," she said, nodding towards Clarke first, and then to Bellamy, since her arms were restrained at her sides. "You don't know what _justice_ is! Or what is right. Wells did-" At this Kat started to cry, the tears finally coming, as she thought about her friend. He was the only person who had seemed to care, or had bothered to try. "He was a good person, and you all treated him like shit. He dies, and you use it as an excuse to be inhuman. As if either of you needed an excuse to show what you really are underneath."

The room is silent for a moment after her words seemed to hang heavy in the air around them. Clarke was looking at her with wide eyes, her expression torn between her grief, and guilt. "Bellamy…" she started to say, having second thoughts about all this.

"No," Bellamy said before she could stop him, and he crossed the room. He took out his knife, and cut at a harness in one of the other seats, and unclipped the buckle. He pulled the red strap he had cut free, and started back towards Lincoln with determination. He used the knife then to tear into the thin material of his shirt, cutting it away to leave the grounder's torso bare. "We are here to get answers. He knows something." He points the tip of his knife in Lincoln's direction. "And I am going to get those answers."

Bellamy put the knife back into his pocket, and his hands were shaking just slightly as he wrapped one end of the strap around his fist to give him a firm grip on the new weapon.

Kat was looking to Clarke with a horrified expression, knowing that she was the only one who could stop this. The others wouldn't dare to stand up against Bellamy, and Kat couldn't physically stop him herself. "Please Clarke, stop this. _Please_ \- Please stop it. He doesn't know anything. He can't even talk. Stop this please." Kat had never begged for anything in life. Not for mercy, not for redemption. But she was pleading now, for this to stop. For the one person who didn't trust her, or even like her, to stop this torture before it went any further.

"Bellamy," Clarke started, turning to face him now with determination.

Bellamy looked over at her, and his features softened. "Clarke go downstairs. I'll take care of this- you just make sure my sister doesn't come up here alright," he said before she could say anything else. She looked ready to object, but was floundering. "Trust me, I'll get justice for Wells."

Clarke pressed her lips together, and nodded her head.

Kat felt despair fill her, as she watched Clarke head to the hatch, and climb down without even looking at her. Bellamy had followed the blonde, and kicked the door shut behind her. "Make sure no one else comes in," he said to Conner and the man nodded his head, and stood watch near the door.

Bellamy turned back to Lincoln then, and before any of them could react, he whipped the strap forward, and the buckle made contact with Lincoln's abdomen. Lincoln hunched forward, his body trying to curl in towards the injury, as he groaned.

Bellamy prepared to hit him a second time, when Kat threw herself against the harness with a scream. The group started at the sound, each head turning in her direction, as she jerked back, and forth wildly in the seat, trying to wrench herself loose. The nylon thread stretched with each buck of her hips, as she threw herself forward over, and over again.

Bellamy shook himself out of the shock when the chair she was strapped in, groaned under the continuous onslaught of her jerking back and forth. "Get her under control," he snapped at Murphy.

Murphy curled his lip at the command, and his hands tightened into fists in annoyance. Turning his irritation towards Kat, he slammed his fist into the side of her head. The blow jarred her, her head snapping to the side, and stars exploded in front of her eyes. The headache she had been suffering through before, doubled in intensity, and slumped in her seat, unconscious.

Bellamy jerked back from the grounder as the man tied up so securely, seemed to come to life, throwing himself forward, and straining against the ropes with renewed vigor. His injuries didn't even seem to hinder him, as he jerked and pulled forward, trying to snap the ropes with brute force, and strength of will. Looking between Kat and Lincoln, Bellamy finally seemed to register the connection there.

"Murphy," he said, his eyes moving to his temporary second. After Atom, he had yet to find a more suitable replacement. "Let's try something different. Tie her up with the savage."

Murphy was mildly surprised by the order, but didn't question it. He motioned for Conner to help him, and with his assistance they untied Kat, who had yet to wake up after the second blow to her head. The hit had seemed to daze her enough to make her submissive, and they were able to carry her body to the center of the room. They undid the ropes around her wrists, and strung her up in a similar fashion that the grounder was in.

Lincoln was looking between the men in the room, and then to Kat. Concern for her was present in his stare, when they tied her up in front of him. She hadn't made a sound or move since Murphy had hit her. A few minutes passed as they made sure the ropes were secure enough to hold her weight, and Lincoln watched her closely. Slowly her eyes opened, and her head lifted from where it had been resting against her raised right shoulder.

Kat focused on the blurred form just a few feet in front of her. It didn't take long for her to recognize Lincoln's features, even with her eyes clouded with pain, and her brows furrowed with confusion. She pulled at her arms then, finding them restrained. Turning her head, her eyes took in the sight of the ropes that had her strung up almost like a puppet in the middle of the room. Conner, Murphy and Bellamy stood around her, waiting for her to finally wake up.

Swallowing the rising fear, that had lodged itself in her throat, she looked at Lincoln then. He looked furious, and terrified. His arms strained against the ropes, trying to wrench them free from the walls, and his body was covered in sweat and blood, from his earlier beatings.

Her head was killing her, with her stomach rolling with nausea. She wondered for a moment if she might have a concussion. It wasn't like Murphy had been gentle with her when he threw her into the tree, or when he punched her.

"Now we will get us some answers," Bellamy said looking between the two of them.

Kat didn't look his way, but instead just focused on the man's face in front of her. She didn't know his name, or anything about him really. But right then, he was the only one she could relate with. They were both stuck in this terrifying predicament, that would most likely end with them both being beaten to death. She heard Bellamy moving behind her, the sound of the strap's corded material stretching between his hands.

"It's okay," she spoke softly, and Lincoln blinked at her in surprise. She was thinking of her mother's bruised, and broken body when she came home that night over two years ago. She had been knocked unconscious, but her father had continued to hit her over, and over again. "It's okay, I can take it." She was talking to Lincoln now, ignoring the others in the room, as she told him that he didn't need to talk.

It was them against everyone else.

Bellamy faltered at her words, the resolution in her tone, causing him to hesitate. Was he really going to do this? To his sister's friend? It didn't feel right, and Bellamy felt his resolve on getting answers, faltering.

"What are you waiting for," Murphy asked, and came up beside him. "They killed Wells, and you're just going to let something like that slide?"

Bellamy looked between Lincoln and Kat, their eyes focused on one another as if giving each other strength. He shook his head, his eyes dropping to see his hands were shaking again. Dammit, he was backing out on this.

Curling his lip, Murphy wrenched the strap from Bellamy's grip, and moved to tear Kat's shirt open so that he could reach bare skin. Bellamy reacted immediately, his hand coming down on Murphy's arm, and he shoved him back. The two faced off for the moment, staring each other down.

"Take a walk Murphy," Bellamy said at last, his tone booking no room for an argument.

Murphy looked like he was going to fight the command, but in the end, he threw down the strap, and stormed from the room. He wrenched the hatch open, and climbed down with Conner following close at his heels. Bellamy waited until he heard them leave the dropship entirely, before he looked over at their two prisoners.

"You have an hour to start talking," he said quietly, and left the room, closing the hatch behind him, and locking it on his way down.

Kat sagged against her bonds, her arms straining under her weight, but her legs didn't have the strength to hold her body up any longer. She was feeling really woozy now, with the room spinning.

Lincoln tried to pull forward, but his own ropes stopped him before he could even move an inch closer. Her face was pale, and her body was trembling. He watched as her eyelids started to droop, her head nodding off to the right tiredly.

"Katarina," he called her name softly, speaking up for the first time, as concern for her had him breaking another rule.

Kat's head jerked up at the sound of her name, and she looked around with confusion. Her eyes landed on Lincoln, but she was seeing two of him right then, with her vision unable to focus on him. Kat couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard him say her name.

The sound of the lock on the hatch releasing, had them both jerking in surprise. Lincoln schooled his features, and Kat tried to turn her head to see if it was Bellamy returning to go through with his threat. As the hatch opened, the door lifting inward, and a dark head appeared in the opening, Kat blinked her eyes.

"Octavia?"

Octavia looked down below to make sure no one had followed her, before she was rushing across the room to reach Kat. "Hey, we don't have much time," she said with concern on her face. She was holding a knife in her hand, and quickly went to work on cutting away the ropes around her friend's wrists.

Without their support, Kat's legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground. Octavia had barely gotten an arm around her, and was brought down by the sudden dead weight, but had managed to buffer Kat's body by using her own as something softer to land on.

"Whoa there," she said gently, and pushed a strand of hair from Kat's face to get a look at her head injury. She had a couple goose eggs, one bleeding pretty well, while the other was forming into a deep bruise.

"Damn what did Bells do to you," she asked her worriedly.

"Was Murphy," Kat muttered, and she tried to sit up on her own.

"Then I guess its good thing they're stringing him up," Octavia said with a sneer.

"What do you mean?"

Octavia looked over at Kat, seeing her confused stare. "Oh right- Clarke found Murphy's knife with Wells' blood on it. Everyone has gone crazy out there right now. We need to get you out of here while they're too busy hanging Murphy. Bells is too busy trying to appease the crowd right now, so he probably won't be back for a while," she explained.

 _Murphy killed Wells._ Kat reached for the knife Octavia had been holding, her nostrils flaring as rage fueled her. She was struggling to push herself up to her feet, wanting to kill the man herself.

"Hey- hey," Octavia said as Kat stumbled on her feet, and nearly toppled over. "Just wait a minute, okay. You're not going anywhere on your own until we get your head looked at okay."

Kat just shook her head, wincing as it seemed to make the pain, and dizziness worse, and she handed the knife back over to Octavia. "Cut him down, please," she asked, and motioned to the grounder who had been looking between them, unsure what to make of Octavia.

Octavia looked over at him then, with some trepidation. "Kat I don't think that's-" she started to say, and was shaking her head no.

"Please Octavia. He saved my life when I got trapped out in the fog. I promise he won't hurt you."

Octavia pressed her lips together, but nodded her head. She wearily approached the man, the knife held loosely in her hand. "Okay there," she began carefully, unsure if this would get her killed, or not, despite Kat's reassurance. "I'm going to cut you free- and I know you probably want vengeance after what Bells did to you, but please- my friend- Kat she needs medical help."

Lincoln didn't respond to her words, but just stared at her, and the knife she held as she approached him. Octavia swallowed hard, but grabbed the rope, and began to cut the cord loose. His arm fell to his side, and his knees buckled under him as he collapsed to the ground without the leverage of both arms to hold him up any longer.

Octavia moved to the other rope quickly, and cut that one loose. She watched as his arm fell to his side, but he was pushing himself up to his feet, now that he was free, and crossed the short distance between him and Kat. She wanted to stop him, unsure of his intentions, but found herself speechless as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes.

Lincoln dropped to his knees beside Kat, and with great care pulled her up into his lap, his arms wrapping around her gently. Octavia pulled herself short, her eyes moving between them. She watched the way he cupped Kat's face, his fingers feeling out the cut on her head to see how deep it was. He brushed the darkened red hair aside, and Kat opened her eyes to look at him.

"Hey there," Kat murmured tiredly. "I dreamt you said my name." She chuckled at the idea, but winced as it jarred the pain in her skull. _That hurt_.

Octavia gnawed on her bottom lip. "We really need to go," she said, shattering the scene before her. Lincoln looked towards her, his expression hard.

"It's now or never," Octavia said just as seriously. "If either of you want to make it out of here alive, you need to go now. It's only a matter of time before the others realize you're loose. Even if you're innocent of killing Wells, they're going to want blood. There's no reasoning with a mob mentality, you understand?"

Lincoln stared at the other girl, before he nodded his head to her question. He shifted his arms under Kat's body, and hefted her up against his chest in a firm hold. His injuries screamed in protest but he bit it back, by clenching his teeth as climbed to his feet. He followed Octavia to the hatch, and looking down, they found Monty and Jasper waiting there anxiously. He was reluctant to release Kat, now that he had a hold of her, and when Octavia moved in to help him, he pulled away from her, holding Kat protectively to his chest.

"Look you're worse off than she is, you can't carry her down there by yourself. Let us help. Kat is our friend, and we won't let anything else happen to her, okay," she said trying to placate him.

Lincoln knew the group had gotten close to Kat over the past week. He had seen them spend time together, had watched as Kat had slowly opened up to them. She had even risked her life to save one of them. Nodding his head, Lincoln finally gave in, and helped ease her down through the opening.

Monty and Jasper made sure they had a good hold on Kat, before they told Octavia she could let go. They were prepared for Octavia to climb down the ladder, but not the grounder to follow close behind her. The two held still, their eyes seeking each other out, before looking back at Lincoln in fear.

"He's a friend," Octavia said simply.

Lincoln approached them, and took Kat back into his arms. He held her carefully to his chest, doing the best he could not to jostle her too much. Monty and Jasper hesitated a moment longer, but a look from Octavia, had them leading a safe way to the opened panel since they couldn't exactly hide a grounder in their tent. Monty held it open as Lincoln ducked through with Kat. Jasper and Octavia quickly brought up the rear.

"We'll need to be careful," Monty said looking at the rest of them. "Apparently, Murphy didn't kill Wells."

"What do you mean," Octavia asked, her brows furrowing. Her eyes were busy searching the trees, trying to see if they could see any of the lynch mob nearby. It was strangely quiet out here.

"That kid- Charlotte. She killed Wells. They had Murphy hanging from the tree when she confessed. They managed to cut him down in time, but- he's out for blood. I don't think he'll settle for just Charlotte's."

Octavia nodded her head in understanding.

"Okay- hey do you know where it's safe to take her," she suddenly asked, directing the question to the grounder.

Lincoln nodded his head to her, and started walking through the trees, heading in the direction of his cave. He didn't bother to look back to see if the others followed him, or not.

* * *

 _ **AN: Just because you guys and gals have been absolutely fantastic with your reviews, I decided to reward you early and not make you wait another week for this next chapter. Thank you all for the lovely reviews, they totally made my day.**_

 _ **So what did you think? How well did I do with Clarke, Bellamy and Murphy's characters? I really hope I have kept them in character. Also, I do know that certain scenes are out of order, but with Kat here, things wont always go in order with the show. But since she isn't there in every scene to affect them, some things will stay the same while others wont happen or will be different. Which is why I vaguely touch base with them, without following them too closely.**_

 _ ****Also I wanted to get your feedback on an idea, if possible. What is your opinion on a Clarke/Lincoln story, or do you prefer OC/Lincoln? I have this idea for another 100 story and well of course I'm going to pick Lincoln since he is my favorite character in the show... and well my sister said it would be just weird if Lincoln and Clarke hooked up XD... so I was like huh... okay may need to rewrite this story idea.. but, before I do that, I would like your opinion. Thanks a bunch!****_

 _ **Let me know if you like/love/hate it.**_

 _ **Inky out!**_


	9. Chapter Eight

_Warning: Sexual themes read at your own risk._

 **Rumors**

 **Chapter eight**

The feel of someone touching her face, roused her from the darkness. Kat woke with a start, her eyes blinking open, and her body stilling in fear, that she would find herself still tied up in the chair, and that she had passed out under the mercy of Murphy and Bellamy. Her head turned, and she looked up at the face hovering over hers.

She recognized his eyes first, while in the middle of her panic, the light brown shade of his irises, and the fading dark paint that surrounded them, put her at ease. She sunk back into the softness under her, only to frown at the strangeness of it. Her eyes looked passed Lincoln's face to the stone walls that acted as a ceiling then, to get a bearing on her surroundings. Her head shifted to the side, and she could see firelight lighting up the room they were in, and then there was softness beneath her, brushing against her cheek.

"Where-" she croaked, her throat dry from screaming, and misuse. She groaned, and she lifted her hand to touch her neck, as she struggled to swallow. She was so thirsty.

"Here," he suddenly said, and Lincoln was holding a cup of water out to her, for her to drink.

Kat took the cup; sitting up carefully on what she realized was a bed of furs, and greedily drank the contents. She coughed, her body jerking as the cold liquid startled her throat into closing up in shock at the initial contact, but she continued to drink until it was all gone. She breathed a sigh of relief, clearing her throat, before she was looking at him.

"Wait," she started, her voice still hoarse, but it wasn't as painful to speak. "You talked."

Lincoln looked away from her, his hands taking the empty cup to set it aside, prolonging his response to her statement. Kat tipped her head, trying to see his face. She had heard him, right? It didn't look like anyone was in the cave with them, so it had been him, right? Looking at his expression, she saw the guilt there.

"You did, didn't you? You can speak English," she asked, wanting to hear him say it.

"Yes," he answered her, for the first time. His voice was deep, but there was a softness to it, that Kat hadn't expected. Not that she ever expected to hear his voice, let alone understand him.

Lincoln turned to look at her then, his eyes searching her face to see how she would react to the answer.

Kat wanted to be angry, but she just couldn't sum up the energy to put much weight into it. She was just grateful that he answered one of her questions for once. She pressed her lips together, wanting to ask him a million things, but still unsure, if he would even answer any of them.

Instead she went with an easy one. "Where are we?"

He didn't answer right away, but continued to look at her, as if to discern whether she was mad at him, or not. "This is my home," he answered, after he seemed to find an answer in her tired appearance.

Kat turned her head to look again, wanting to see what he considered home. All she could make out were stone walls, dirt, and the flickering light of a torch near the exit of the room they were in. It looked like one of those pockets in a cave. The air felt damp, and smelled musty, with moss growing on one side. Turning her head the other way, she could make out a placement of items, and she spied the container that held the vials of medicine, a collection of knives, and a leather book, that Bellamy had laid out when they were in the dropship.

"Hey," she said, recognizing the book. She shifted away from him, wincing as her side screamed in protest at the movement. Looking down, she saw strips of cloth had been wrapped around her ribs, just below her breasts. It was then that she realized she was only wearing her sports bra, and boy shorts. "Where are my clothes?" She had stopped in her mission to grab the book, to give Lincoln a pinched look.

Lincoln pointed to a folded pile near the torch. "Your friend Octavia helped you. She said you had bruising around your ribs, but doesn't think anything was broken," he explained.

Kat found herself staring opened mouth at him. That was the most he had ever said to her. It was a bit much really. Swallowing, she tried to think of something easier to think about. "Murphy kicked me," she said, in a way to explain the bruising. She felt around the bandages, and found the spot where his boot had connected with her ribs.

"The one who hit you," Lincoln said with a serious expression. His tone was hard, and when she looked at him, she could see the anger brimming there.

Kat slowly nodded, and the ache that throbbed along the side of her face was another reminder to the other injury Murphy had given her. She reached up to spot that hurt the worst, and found that the side of head, the hair had been shaved short around her ear there, so that the gash on her head could be stitched up. Her fingertips brushed over the short strands now, not sure how she felt about the unusual haircut, but since it had been to help her, she really couldn't bring herself to be upset about it. It wasn't like she had ever been really sensitive about how she looked, before now. She only owned one set of clothes, and bathing had become an option not so easily obtained while on earth.

She looked over at Lincoln again, her eyes searching out his injuries. "How are you?" she asked him, her eyes catching sight of the stiches that closed the wound near the back of his head. He didn't look bloody anymore, and even the swelling around his eye had gone down. However, he still looked pretty banged up.

"I am fine," he answered honestly. "Octavia helped us, with the help of your friends Monty and Jasper."

Her friends.

"And they're-?"

"Back at the camp. They wanted to make sure the others don't come looking for us," he explained.

Kat leaned back against the wall behind her. Only in her underwear, she was really missing the warmth of the furs, but the cool air was helping her stay awake now. She felt really tired, exhausted straight down to her bones. Like she could sleep for days.

"My friends," she murmured, the term so strange. Wells had been a friend, and he died. Now she had three more to worry about. "I have the sudden urge to get them something nice- to thank them for saving us." She laughed, wincing as it pulled at her injured ribs, and the stiches. "I doubt chocolates and flowers will be enough." She looked over at Lincoln to find him giving her a strange look.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I- I've never had friends before. I'm not even sure how to even to thank them properly, for what they did for us."

Lincoln slowly nodded his head in understanding then. "I don't think they expect anything in return. If anything, they were returning the favor for what you had done for Jasper."

Kat nodded. Suddenly remembering why, she had moved in the first place, Kat looked over at the leather book. "Is that my sketch book?" she asked him. If it was, that really meant he had been watching them from the beginning. That he had followed her around that first day, after the dropship landed.

Lincoln followed her gaze, and saw the book she had mentioned. Guilt gripped him, but he pushed the emotion away. "Yes."

"Why did you take it?"

Lincoln considered his answer carefully, before responding. "You saw me," he explained.

"I what," she asked, her brows pinching together.

He stood slowly, the healing injuries in his abdomen, causing him to wince, but he managed to hide the pain from her. He made his way carefully over to the book. Picking it up, he then walked back, and sat down in front of her. He held it out for her to see for herself. Kat took the offered book, staring at the leather that had seemed to age over the past several days. The leather was fading, and torn from constant use. Undoing the clasp, she opened it to the first page. She recognized the first few drawings as her own. She flipped through the others until she came to the one he was referring too.

Kat blinked, her head slowly turning to the side. She vaguely recalled drawing it, but at the time, she hadn't really realized what it was she was drawing. A pair of eyes. Turning her head, Kat looked at Lincoln, and realized she had been drawing him.

"How long were you watching us?"

Lincoln held her stare, his eyes searching hers. "From the moment, you stepped off the ship," he answered truthfully.

Kat felt her cheeks redden at his words. Of course, he meant when the hundred had stepped off the ship, but for some reason, it was like he meant her, specifically. She tried to chastise herself over the notion. That was ridiculous.

Kat was silent after that, flipping through the pages, finding dozens of them. There was the one of the dropship with the tally marks. She noticed there were seven X'd out now, but she didn't dare ask who died. Right now, she really couldn't bring herself to care. She knew Jasper, Monty and Octavia were alright. That Lincoln was safe. And that was what mattered. That her friends were safe.

The next few drawings were of the delinquents, and then of some things she had never seen before. One page had man dressed in what looked like a hazmat suit. Another one in camouflage gear. And then she found a drawing of herself.

Kat stared at the picture for a long time, seeing herself in a different light. He made her look- _beautiful_. Kat almost didn't recognize herself, and had only known it was her because he had used something red, to get the right color for her hair. Kat traced a finger over the picture. It wasn't something new he had drawn, since there were a few more pictures that had been drawn after it.

"She's beautiful," she said softly.

"Yes."

Her cheeks flushed at his quick agreement to the statement, and her head jerked up to look at him. He was staring at her in that intense way, she had grown used to seeing, when he looked at her. Like he was seeing straight down into her soul, and seeing something no one else could.

Lincoln reached out, and took the book from her hands then. She gave it up without a fight, too caught up in searching his expression. He set it aside, and his hand moved to gently cup the side of her face. There was a bruise that circled one eye, and scratches along her cheeks, and forehead, from being dragged through the forest. Her hair was a rat's nest again with twigs, and leaves caught in the mess at the back of her head. Above her right ear, they had to shaved a strip of her hair short, so that they could stich the wound close. Even with all that, she was beautiful to him. She had always been beautiful.

Leaning toward her, Lincoln pressed his forehead against hers, and he watched as her eyes closed at the contact. He waited, his thumb brushing across her bottom lip teasingly, and her eyes flickered open to look up at him. He held her gaze as his mouth pressed against hers, his lips tasting her for the first time.

Kat watched him, watching her, as he kissed her. It was gentle and sweet, his lips ghosting against her own, in a tenderness she had never seen, or felt from anyone before. She pressed a hand against his chest, her fingers moving across the shirt he wore to curl her fingers around his shoulder. She made a soft sound when his teeth nipped her lower lip, her mouth opening for him. His tongue slid in, tasting her further. Still he watched her, until she sucked on his tongue, drawing a low moan from him, and his eyes finally closed.

She found herself pulled up into his arms, her legs straddling his waist. The move had pulled at her side, and her mouth opened wider in a gasp. She could feel one of his hands at her waist, his fingers being as careful as they could as they slid across the bandages, and around her back. Kat breathed heavily through her nose, a small giggle escaping her, as his touch tickled her sides. She felt him smirk against her mouth, before he was deepening the kiss again, his mouth more passionate, and demanding than the first time.

The hand at her face moved up to carefully cup the back of her head, his fingers lacing into her hair to hold her as close to him as possible, without hurting her. Kat broke the kiss with a moan, sucking in air as her lungs strained from the lack of oxygen. She rested her forehead against his shoulder, panting, and her breath of air ghosting over the bare skin of his neck. She could see the vein throbbing there with the beat of his heart, its pace fast, and irregular.

She felt his face press into the side of her hair, breathing her in, and she smiled. She really hadn't been expecting this. Kat pressed a kiss to his throat, right over the beating pulse. He shivered at the gentle touch, and she could feel his throbbing member straining through the thin barrier of his pants.

"Katarina," he breathed her name, and the sound of it, had her shuddering as goosebumps raised along her bare flesh. She pulled back from him then, as something dawned on her, her eyes catching his stare.

"What's your name?"

"Lincoln," he answered without hesitation, and his usually honey brown stare, was nearly black. The pupils had nearly consumed the entire irises, with the intensity of his desire.

"Lincoln," she echoed the name, her lips tugging up into a smile.

He liked the sound of his name on her lips, and he leaned in, planning on kissing her again, when they heard a voice echoing through the cave.

"Uh- hello," Jasper's voice came out timidly. They could both hear the anxiousness in his tone.

"Dude they can't hear you if you whisper," came Monty's voice, and it was followed by a pained grunt from what was most likely Monty elbowing Jasper.

"I wasn't whispering," came the heated whisper.

"Jesus, you two. Let's just get this over with, alright," was Octavia's annoyed response. "Hey! Are you two still alive in there?!" Her raised voice echoed through the cave, carrying almost like she had shouted.

Kat looked at Lincoln, who had turned his head away from her, to glare out at the only exit from the room they were in. "They'll send a search party if we don't respond, so it's not like we can play dead," Kat said, in case he had been considering doing just that.

Lincoln sighed, and nodded his head as if he knew that to be true. As he stood up, and held out a hand towards her, Kat had to wonder, just how well he knew all of them. If he had been watching them for the past week, since they landed on earth, he probably knew them all better than they knew each other.

"Yea we're alive," Kat called back, her voice sounding more normal, than it had when she first woke up.

"That's Kat!" Monty exclaimed with surprise, and they could hear their footsteps as they entered the cave.

Kat panicked for a moment, her eyes dropping to her nakedness, and then to her clothes, just a few feet out of her reach. Lincoln however was quick to grab his discarded jacket, and shoved it in her direction. She had managed to get her arms through the sleeves, and jerked its close around her, when the three came around the corner, and entered the room.

Kat looked up at Lincoln, who had stood in front of her while she tried to dress herself in the jacket to act as cover, in case they walked in before she was ready. She looked down at herself, and was relieved the jacket was several sizes too large for her, and reached to about mid-thigh. It covered all the important parts, leaving only her legs bare, but she wasn't concerned about them seeing her knees or anything. Giving a nod, she let out the air she had been holding, and Lincoln stepped aside.

"There she is," Octavia said, and she crossed the room to hug Kat, startling her at the sudden affection. "You had us really worried there, Kat." Kat held her arms at her side, not sure what to do, as she stared at the others over the girl's shoulder. Slowly, her arms came around Octavia, and she returned the hug.

Lincoln watched the display from a distance, having stepped aside to give her space to be with her friends. He would admit that he felt a twinge of jealously, when Jasper and Monty crossed the distance, and joined in on the hug. He kept the feeling to himself however, and busied himself with cleaning up, by collecting the sketch book, and placing it back in its spot with his knives.

"I'm sorry I worried you guys," Kat said as they released her from the hug. She looked at each of them, her brows pinched with concern. "How long was I out?"

"Two days," Monty answered first. "A lot has happened since- you know…" He nodded his head over in Lincoln's direction. Kat followed his direction, and looked at Lincoln, before looking at him again.

"Like what?"

"Charlotte's dead," Octavia said. "Murphy was banished from the camp. Clarke and Bellamy became our official leaders and Finn's girlfriend Raven showed up from the Ark. They managed to get radio contact with the Ark too."

Kat blinked. All that had happened in just two days?

Across the room, Lincoln had found himself the center of Jasper's attention. The other boy had disengaged himself from the group hug, only to move to one side of the cave, and just stared at him. Lincoln knew the boy didn't trust him, and for good reason. He had ended up on the wrong end of a spear from his people. Most likely Penn's since Artigas was better with a bow, and not strong enough to throw a spear with such strong accuracy.

He held the boy's stare, his body tense in case Jasper decided to get blood for what had happened to him. _Blood must have blood._

"Jasper, dude- stop staring at him," Monty said in a sharp whisper to his friend, and tried to shake the boy out of the stare down he was giving Lincoln.

Kat looked over at Jasper, and frowned at him. Octavia just rolled her eyes at the two's antics. "He's still having trouble with- being buddy-buddy with a grounder," Octavia tried to explain.

"We're not buddies," Jasper said, having heard Octavia. "He's the enemy."

"Jasper," Kat called his name. At first the boy didn't act like he had heard her, but slowly his eyes shifted in her direction, but they quickly returned back to watching Lincoln, like he expected the man to go feral, and attack them all.

Kat pulled away from Octavia, and moved till she stood in front of Jasper, failing at blocking all of his view of Lincoln, since she was shorter than both of them. But she managed to gain his attention anyway, and that had been her objective. The boy blinked, his eyes moving over her bruised face, matted hair, and the stitches in her scalp. He flinched at the sight, his expression pained at seeing his friend like that.

"Jasper, Lincoln's not the enemy," she tried to explain to him. When he started to argue, she cut him off quickly, before he could even get a word in. "He saved both of our lives."

Jasper's face pinched with confusion, not understanding.

Kat then showed him the burn on her hand, that had left a faint scar. "The others and I were caught out in the acid fog. I got left behind. Had it not been for Lincoln pulling me out of the fog, I would be dead right now, and so would you. I had the seaweed in my bag. I came this close to dying out there." She pointed to the scar. "He risked his life to save me, and in turn, I was able to save you. If he was the enemy- tell me something Jasper, would he have bothered to do all that?"

Jasper swallowed hard, his Adam's apple jumping as he considered her words. His eyes looked down at the burns, then up to her face. Then he glanced over at Lincoln, who had been watching the exchange with a calm expression.

"So- his name is Lincoln," he asked.

Kat nodded her head to the question.

Jasper nodded in return, and pulled away from her, his eyes shifting to look at something else in the room. "I guess he's alright," he admitted out loud. Next to him, Monty just shook his head, and rolled his eyes.

Octavia then picked that moment to ask, "Kat what the hell are you wearing?"

Flushing, Kat looked down at herself, and then back up at Jasper and Monty. Both boys seemed to realize her state of undress at the same time, and were discretely looking elsewhere. Tightening the folds of the jacket, she turned away from them. "It's Lincoln's," she said with a blush in her cheeks.

Octavia nodded, a small smirk pulling at her lips. "That's right, your stuff was pretty messed up. Hey, I can see if I can find something for you to wear? Jasper, Monty and I have been scavenging the outer perimeter of the camp, and found some stuff in a bunker. We can check if there are any clothes," she offered.

"That would be great," Kat said with a smile.

Octavia nodded and then motioned for Monty and Jasper to head out. Kat turned to watch them leave, but Octavia lingered behind. "I'm really sorry for what Bells did to you, to both of you," she said, looking between them. "He's a good person. I think- just being here has him all messed up inside. If he was thinking clearly, I know he'd never do something like that- that he would be sorry too."

Kat hugged herself tighter, but nodded her head in a jerky motion. "I know Octavia. What happened wasn't your fault. It's not even Bellamy's or Clarke's. They're just scared. We're all still kids trying to be adults," she said. It was the best she could do, to say she didn't _completely_ hold a grudge over what happened.

Octavia nodded, and then left the cave to join Monty and Jasper outside. Kat stared after her for a long moment, and then her chin tipped down, and her eyes moved to stare at the ground when she could no longer hear their voices. She couldn't forgive them entirely either, but understood why they had done it. Everything was all messed up. The way everything happened. The Ark had sent a bunch of _kids_ to earth. A bunch of _delinquents_ , that were not known for following the rules. It was miracle things hadn't ended up worse than they had.

She felt arms wrap around her from behind, and a face pressed against the side of her head. She could feel Lincoln's breath, gentle at the shell of her ear. Her eyes closed briefly, and she relished in the feelings she felt from his arms holding her. Safe, protected, and possibly _loved_.

If the Ark hadn't done what they did, Kat would be dead, and she never would have met Lincoln.

Her eyes opened, and Kat slowly turned in his arms. Her own released the folds of his jacket, and she slid them up around his neck. Her fingers pressed down at the back of his head, bringing his mouth down to her own. They kissed, like it was the first time all over again, and like there wouldn't be a next. She felt his hands moving down her body, his fingers gripping onto the softness of her thighs. He hefted her up his body, and her legs locked around his waist. She bit his lip, as the move had caused pain to flare up in her side, but it was fleeting.

Lincoln groaned into her mouth, the kiss turning heated. He moved them forward, and Kat found her back pressed against the wall of the cave, and the jacket acted as a barrier, protecting her skin from the rough stone. She moaned softly, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth, and nipping it again with her teeth. His hips jerked up against hers, and his fingers dug into the meat of her thighs. His grip would leave bruises, but right at that moment, Kat couldn't bring herself to care.

She was _alive_.

They both were _alive_.

And she _wanted_ him.

Lincoln fumbled with the buttons on his pants, the action being difficult, with Kat in his arms, and with her body pressed so close to his. He refused to let her go, though. The clasp came free, and the zipper pulled down easily. His pants fell to his ankles, and he moaned as his hard length strained against his shorts, and pressed up against her. The thin barriers between them was aggravating, and Kat seemed to agree with him that is was just too much.

To his displeasure her legs released his waist, and she slid back down to the ground. Her feet touched the floor, and his hands were gripping at her boy shorts, and jerking them down over her hips. She kicked them aside as soon as they were loose around her knees, and he was quickly lifting her back up around his waist.

His own shorts were removed just as quickly, falling to his ankles, and he stepped out of the pooled material. Her wet opening slid across the head of his cock, drawing pleasured moans from them both. Lincoln didn't think he could wait any longer, as he felt her hips grind down against his length.

Rocking his hips forward, and angling his member towards her opening, the tip pushed into her, and he felt her walls tighten around at the intrusion.

Kat bit her lip with her eyes screwed up tight, as she felt him stretching her walls open to accommodate his size. She'd never been with anyone before, and knew the first time would be painful. Lincoln moved slowly, as her walls continued to fight against him, and then he felt the barrier. He stopped moving then.

Lincoln pressed a kiss to her mouth, easing her to relax, as he kissed her. He nipped her bottom lip, drawing a moan from her. Her eyes opened, and she was looking at him with large eyes. The blue-green in her gaze took his breath away. His mouth moved over hers, drawing her tongue into his mouth, so that he could suck, and nip at it. He slipped a hand between them, his fingers seeking the harden nub between her folds, and rubbing against it with the pad of his finger. Her cheeks were flushed, and her pupils dilated with arousal. She quickly relaxed around him then, and he could feel her gripping at his cock, instead of trying to push him out. He moved his mouth down to kiss her jawline, and then down to her neck. He found the spot over her pulse, and nipped it.

A throaty moan escaped her, and her slick walls clenched around his cock. Lincoln waited a beat, before he thrust up into her, and took her virginity.

Kat cried out, her body stilling at the sudden pain, but Lincoln was sucking, and nipping at her neck again, drowning the pain out with pleasure, as his fingers continued to tease her clit. He waited until she was moaning, and writhing against him, before he started to move inside her. The feel of his cock sliding in, and out of her was something she couldn't describe. She could feel his fingers flexing around the grip on her ass, as he pushed, and pulled her along his length. With each pass, his thrusts grew faster and harder.

Her walls tightened around him, as heat coiled low in her gut. She was panting, and moaning against his neck, her teeth grazing his skin. Then something sparked inside her, and she bit down onto his shoulder as she came, her body shuddering from the intense release. Lincoln thrust hard into her wet heat, and as her walls clamped down around him, his own climax was quick to follow.

Kat was breathing heavily, her vision clearing from the black spots in front of her eyes. Lincoln had stopped moving, his cock still buried deep inside her, and his body was still pinning her to the wall of the cave. She pressed a kiss to his neck, and she felt his skin jump from the gentle touch.

His head turned to look at her, and Kat pulled away from his neck as he leaned in to kiss her. He was gentle as he lifted her away from the wall, and carried her over to the bed of furs. He never left the warmth of her body, but laid with her, being careful not to crush her with his weight. He was staring at her, his hand brushing away a wild strand of hair.

Kat couldn't describe the look she saw there in his expression, but it had her heart stuttering in her chest. He leaned in, and kissed her again, and she readily returned it with a fever of her own.

Her hands clung to him as he started moving inside her again, this time his movements were much slower and gentler.

"Lincoln," she breathed out, and tears had collected in her eyes. He simply leaned in, and kissed the tears away.

* * *

 _ **AN: Ha! So I meant to have this up by Saturday, but like the day passed in a blink of an eye and I can't even recall what I did all day. The yesterday I had a bad day, and all I wanted to do was go home and kill some things in a game, so that is what I did. XD**_

 _ **So... what did you think? Hopefully it was up to par. I try not to dwell too long on those kinds of scenes, but I think it was tasteful.**_

 _ **Let me know, did you love/like/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out**_


	10. Chapter Nine

**Rumors**

 **Chapter nine**

Lincoln woke early, like usual. He had always been an early riser, getting up before even the sun started to rise over the horizon. This particular morning, after spending plenty sleepless nights hiding within the branches of a tree, and then recovering from the torture the sky people had put him through, he woke up much slower than normal. The two previous nights he hadn't slept, too concerned with Katarina's wellbeing to truly close his eyes, and rest. He had hovered near her like a mothering hen, waiting and watching to see if she would wake.

This morning however, he woke after a full night's rest, and could hear the faint noise of birds singing within the trees just outside the cave. The two of them the day before, had spent the entire day together, receiving visitors only twice to disturb them.

Turning his head downward, Lincoln stared at the mop of red hair that tickled his nose. He breathed her in, smelling a hint earth and blood. His lips twisted into a frown as the smell of copper lingered in his senses as he stared at the cut on her head, that had been stitched up to help heal the wound. He had applied a poultice to the wound, but it had fallen off at some point while they slept. The stitches looked clean, the wound seemed to be healing nicely.

They both needed to bathe, after being dragged through the forest and then beaten, they both looked rather worse for wear. Not that it had deterred his arousal for the girl. Even now, his body craved to have her again. He felt that he would never be sated, now that he had had her several times the day before. It had been all he could do to keep his hands to himself when they laid down to sleep. Even now, he felt the urge to taste her.

Katarina made a soft noise under her breath, her face shifting, and rubbing her cheek against the place she had claimed as a pillow over his chest. Absently his fingers touched her hair, running the strands over the pads of his fingers, and felt the dirt, and grime that had accumulated over the last few days. Beneath the furs, their bodies were both naked, and pressed together firmly, and most likely just as filthy. One of her legs had draped over both of his while he laid on his back during the night, her attempt to keep them close. His right arm was curled underneath her body keeping her flush against him.

His fingers continued to play with her hair, his eyes watching her face as she slept peacefully within his bed, and in his arms. A part of him expected to wake from this dream, that none of it had happened. While the other part was starting to think he could get used to waking up with her at his side. Or still buried inside her body. His cock twitched to life, hardening as the images flooded his mind.

 _Ravenous_.

Kat made a sound, her brows furrowing together before her eyes slowly blinked open. She laid there quietly, her eyes slowly adjusting to the sight of the chest she used as her pillow. The light tug at her hair had her head tilting up, and she found his mouth pressing against hers greedily. She smiled into the kiss, her hand moving from where it had laid over his heart, to cup the side of his face.

They pulled apart a few moments later, her face flushed, and her hair in a disarray as his fingers had curled around the strands to hold her firmly to him. She licked her lips, wondering why she didn't feel suddenly shy. She had read books, and seen movies with scenes similar to this. There was always some form of awkwardness, or doubt that made the people involved, second guess, or question what had happened between them. She didn't feel it.

Kat stared up into his eyes, reading the expression that she had grown used to when she caught him staring at her. The intensity in that look alone, said more than any words he could give her. Her lips curved into a smile, and she pecked his lips with a quick kiss, before she was pulling away. She had every intention of getting up, and getting dressed then. She wanted to stretch her legs, and the muscles that she had neglected, while working other muscles that she hadn't even realized existed.

Lincoln tightened his hold on her, his arm curling around her waist, and brought her back down against him. As they toppled back into the furs, she laughed out loud, her head turning up again to give him her best glare. It came across more like a pout, as she struggled to keep the smile off her lips, and failed. He smirked at her in return, before his arm reluctantly released her, and he watched her get to her feet.

His eyes took in the creamy tone that was her skin, as it had hardly been exposed to the sun, so unlike his own. The bandage that had been wrapped around her ribs, had come undone during the night, leaving her completely bare for his eyes to burn a trail as she moved to the pile of clothes, that Octavia had brought her the night before. The bruise over her side from where that Murphy boy had kicked her, was yellowing already, quickly healing since the ordeal, as she took care not to aggravate the wound. Fresh bruises peppered over her hips, and thighs, and his lips curled as he recognized that those had come from him as he had made love to her the day before.

Throwing the furs aside, he climbed to his feet, and approached her, his hands going to her hips, and his fingers were gentle as they fell into place where they had left the bruises. She sighed, though the sound didn't sound pained, or agitated with him.

"You know, we can't stay in here forever," she commented idly, and while he wasn't able to see her face, he could hear the hint of a smile in the tone she used. He would have to whole heartedly disagree with that statement, but she was already talking before he could say so. "We'll have to eat eventually…" As she said this, her stomach growled, and he found himself laughing as she looked up with a flush to her face. Clearly embarrassed as her stomach alerted them, that she was indeed hungry.

"I will take you hunting then," he said firmly and pulled away from her body with great reluctance.

"Hunting," she inquired, turning to face him as she slipped into her underwear.

Lincoln nodded his head, watching her, as he dressed in his own clothes. "In order to survive down here, you will want to learn how to hunt for your food," he said, as he fastened his pants. He had seen the sky people's abilities at hunting. It was quite laughable really. It would be a miracle if they made it to winter, and even then, they would most likely starve, as the food source became scarce.

Kat smiled at him, despite the uneasiness that weighed in her gut. She'd never killed an animal before, and the idea bothered her. Strange concept considering, who she was. "A-alright," she said, and turned back to her clothes.

The pair of pants that Octavia had gotten her, were more her size, fitting snug around her waist so that she didn't even need a belt to hold it up over her narrow hips, like her last pair. These pants were a set of cargo pants done up in camo coloring, and as she looked at the unusual patterns, she had to wonder if they would actually help her blend in with the forest. To her, standing in the soft lighting of the cave, they seemed to stand out like a sore thumb. Lincoln had seemed impressed by Octavia's find though, mentioning that the clothes would help keep Kat warmer for the winter months, unlike her clothes from the Ark would have.

Kat was trying to fasten her bra behind her back now, stretching the sore muscles in her forearms, with a grimace. Lincoln was suddenly behind her, and took the straps from her fingers. With more expertise than she thought he would have, he managed to hook the bra to the right fit as her arms fell back to her sides.

"Uh thanks," she said slowly, turning once he was finished, to face him. "You're pretty handy to have around."

His lips crooked into a smirk to match the one that played on her own features. He reached for the top, that had been neatly folded, and helped it on over her head. It was a thermal top, with long sleeves, and a dark forest green color to go with the pants.

"Better," he asked her, and she nodded her head.

Kat was still feeling a little weak, and sore from yesterday, but not in a bad way though. She looked him over, taking in the clothes she had grown used to seeing him wear. She might need to talk to him about a pair of gloves like those. Murphy would think twice taking her on, with a set of bone knuckles to back up her punch if he came anywhere near her.

"Yes," she answered as she looked down at herself. Her boots were dry, and sitting near the far wall of the cave, the socks stuffed into the holes for safe keeping. She was quick to slip the socks onto her feet.

Kat had just finished with the first boot, when they heard the distinct sound of someone walking up to the front of the cave.

"Hello," Octavia called out, having learned the hard way the night before not to just head in unannounced.

Kat flushed as she looked towards the entrance, while Lincoln struggled to hide his smile behind his hand as he turned away from her, to retrieve his weapons. Octavia had learned quick it seemed, after walking in on them last night.

"Come in," Kat called out, when Lincoln made no move to let the girl know she could enter. She shot him a peeved look, and at the sight of his smirk, her face flushed. "God you're such a perv." She muttered, and turned back to lacing her second boot.

Lincoln laughed out loud, as Octavia walked slowly into the cave. She looked between them quickly, and the relief that seemed to visibly relax her shoulders, when she saw they were both decent, had him barking out another laugh at her expense. He caught sight of Kat's reddened face, as he slipped a blade into his boot, and he knew she was thinking about the instance when Octavia had walked in on them. Lincoln had just pinned Kat to the wall a second time, with her back to him, and her hands braced against the stone surface. It had been passionate, and heated the way she had let him take her like that.

Kat watched as Lincoln's eyes darkened again, and the intense look he was searing straight to her bones, had her flushing more and looking away.

 _Insatiable_ , she thought with a shake of her head. She forced her attention to focus on Octavia, as the girl stepped into the room further.

Octavia was relieved to find them both dressed, and on opposite sides of the cave. She tried not to think of the night before, and instead let her features slip into the familiar amused expression, as she watched Kat get all flustered. She cared for Kat, more than she expected possible, after such a short time of knowing her. Like a gravitational pull, she felt herself gravitating to the other girl, and that was what had led to the friendship that sprung between them.

Looking between the two of them again, she could see that pull was not just subjected to her. She didn't exactly trust the grounder, though. Bellamy's words were always ringing in her head about how dangerous they were. And then there was Jasper's doubts filling her head, from when they talked in the middle of the night, unable to sleep as they worried about Kat being out here on her own. But Octavia trusted Kat. More than she ever thought possible. More than Bellamy even. If Kat said Lincoln was good, then she trusted her friend, and let herself trust the grounder, despite the small voice in her head telling her to grab Kat, and run.

"What's up," Kat said as she straightened, wanting to fill the awkward silence with something other than the heavy tension.

The two of them looked like they were just heading out.

"Came to see how you were doing," Octavia said, and added just for the hell of it, despite her own embarrassment of the situation, "-Making sure you're still alive, and all, after- you know last night's extracurricular actives and all."

Octavia looked at Lincoln first to see him smirking at her, his arms moving to cross themselves over his chest. He was definitely not easily embarrassed, as she felt her own cheeks pinking at her own brazenness.

 _Damn was that man built fine._ Octavia's eyes lingered over the stretch of the tight shirt stretched across those broad muscles of his. She turned her attention to Kat to gauge her reaction to her words, and was satisfied to see Kat openly gaping at her statement, and that the red hue was back on her friend's cheeks once more.

"I'm fine," Kat said sharply, her teeth clicking loudly as she snapped her mouth shut. She suddenly felt like the two of them had ganged up on her, wanting to see who could embarrass her more. Before she could add more, Octavia plowed on to the more prominent reason as to why she had showed up so early.

"Clarke asked how you were doing," Octavia added as she rocked back on her heels. She had crossed her arms over her chest, her dark eyes looking Kat over to measure her response.

Kat pulled herself back, her face schooling into a hard stare. "As if her Highness really cares about our wellbeing," she said a little more harshly than she intended. But at the moment, she didn't feel guilty with the way she reacted to the information. Clarke could hike her ass up a tree for all she cared.

"She does," Octavia said with an aggravated sigh. She wasn't exactly thrilled about being here as their leader's messenger, but her brother had sort of in his own roundabout way, begged her to. And while she didn't exactly feel like she owed her brother anything, he was still her brother. He was all she had for family.

"Look I know what they did was wrong, but they are sorry. That probably doesn't mean shit to you, since it doesn't really mean shit to me, and I wasn't even the one they took a whip to-" Octavia stalled there, wanting to phrase this right so not to piss her friend off so bad, that she walked away. She didn't want to ruin their friendship, or push Kat away. If anything she was here more for her own selfish reasons. She wanted Kat back at the camp just as much as the others did, if not more. She didn't want to go another night, worrying about her out here, without the safety of their walls, and numbers. How was Kat safe out here with one man protecting her? He hadn't even been able to protect her against Bellamy, and Murphy who were amateurs at this survival stuff. "-But they want you to come back to camp, so that they can try to make things right for what they did. Things have changed there with the two of them now sharing the leadership, and all. It's not as chaotic as before."

Kat stared hard at Octavia for a long time, not saying anything. Her friend was right about one thing. Their apologies meant shit to her. Just because she could understand why they had fallen down that path, and understood what had lead them to take that leap, didn't mean she would easily forget what they had done. Or forgive them just because they had changed their ways.

"I'm not going back to the camp," she said with finality.

She hadn't even asked Lincoln if she could stay with him, or if he was even alright with her living here. But she would rather live in the forest, and take her chances with the animals, then walk willingly through that gate after having been dragged through it just days ago. Wells had always hated how stubborn she was, and her inability to forgive or give in, even if she was proven wrong. Chalk it up to her temper, her personality, or being isolated for so long, it was who she was. She wasn't about to change that. Especially not for those two.

Octavia narrowed her eyes at her, her lips curling down into a deep frown. "And what- you'll just live out here in the woods?" she snapped in response, her own temper getting the best of her. She straightened herself then, her head turning to the side as she looked away from Kat. "You know what- fine." Octavia turned, and left then, not bothering to say goodbye or wait for Kat to respond.

Kat watched her friend walk away, and she felt her body sag a little in defeat. It wasn't until after Octavia had left, that she realized that maybe- Octavia hadn't really been asking her to come back for Clarke and Bellamy's guilty conscious.

"You can stay here," Lincoln said after the silence had stretched on too long after Octavia's sudden departure.

Kat turned her surprised stare to him, and her eyes took in his rigid stance. He was never relaxed around Octavia, Monty or Jasper the way he was relaxed around her. He never seemed to let his guard down when they came near, even though he knew they were her friends. That they would never harm her.

"Is that so," she asked him slowly, and she watched as minutely his body began to relax, and he turned his head to look at her. There was that look in his eyes again. He looked ready to devour her again. As if he hadn't had enough to feed an army the day before.

"Yes," he said slowly, the word coming out more like a growl as he stared at her.

She felt her body flush, instant desire flooding her system at that one word. He took a step towards her, and Kat was raising her arms up to ward him off even though every fiber of her being wanted to let him cross the room, and take what he wanted from her. "Oh no," she began, and took a step back, finding herself up against the wall of the cave. He moved after her, and she managed to side step him, and dart out the cave. "You said you were going to teach me to hunt! We'll never leave at this rate," she called out over her shoulder, as she laughed.

He chased her out the cave, his arms encircling around her waist, and he pulled her up short, and then flush against him. She laughed, as he pressed his lips against her neck, and breathed in. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to drag her back to the cave, but in the end he slowly released her.

"Alright," he said with an amused look, and he indicated with his arm out towards the trees. "First thing you need to learn is how to track an animal."

Kat tried to listen to him, she really did. But more often than not, she found herself distracted, as he tried to teach her how to track, and hunt an animal. The sound of his voice, the way the sun filtering in through the trees and made his eyes seem more like honey than brown, kept stealing her thoughts and concentration from what he tried to teach her.

Lincoln gave her a patient look, when he caught her staring at the strong line of his jaw, and the fullness of his lips when he spoke, instead of listening to what he was saying. He seemed more amused by her distracted state, than annoyed, and had started tugging at her hair when she seemed to get lost in her own mind. He could always tell when her eyes seemed to zero in on something that had caught her attention, and her eyes would stare nearly unblinkingly until brought back to the present.

Pointing to a set of fresh tracks, Lincoln motioned for Kat to take the lead. She looked at the nearby foliage for signs of disturbances. She really should have listened, when he had tried to explain to her what to look for. Her eyes looked to the ground and tried to follow the hoofed prints. When they disappeared into a pile of leaves that had shed from the trees overhead, she grew impatient. Looking in either direction, she tried to guess which way the animal would have gone, and in the end picked the wrong direction.

"Katarina," Lincoln said softly, his voice no louder than a soft whisper on the breeze, as it ruffled the dirty strands of hair that framed her face.

She looked back at him, and he indicated in the opposite direction, and pointed to a broken twig that stuck out of a tree and the bent blades of grass a few feet of way.

"Right," she muttered and turned to head that way.

He didn't tease her, but let her take the lead again, and only helped to correct her when she got confused, and turned down the wrong direction. As they approached the buck that they had been tracking, Lincoln guided her to stay low, and he reached for the bow that he had brought with them. It had been slung over his shoulder along with a quiver of arrows.

With practice ease he nock the arrow and pulled the string taunt as he aimed at the deer. Lincoln looked over at Kat, making sure she watched the way he held it before relaxing his hold. He then indicated to the place in front of him.

To say she was nervous, was an understatement. She moved quietly to stand in front of him, looking between the bow, and the deer before turning her head to look at him. He held the weapon out to her and she reluctantly took it from him. His hands were gentle as he helped guide her to nock the arrow, and draw back the string. He only had to lift her elbow up a few inches before he seemed pleased with her steady stance. He checked her aim, and the tension of the string before he nodded his head to her.

Kat looked at the deer, and tried to tell herself that this was to feed them. This wasn't pointless killing. They needed to eat, and meat was a good source of protein. She swallowed, and before she could talk herself out of it, she released the arrow. She'd never shot an arrow before, but the strength in her hold had made it sail the several yards between them, only to thwack into the tree a few feet near the deer's ass. The sound had the animal crying out, and fleeing the area.

"Shit," she hissed under her breath, and stood up on instinct. She watched the deer disappear, before she could even think to grab a second arrow, and try again.

Beside her, Lincoln was smiling but he settled a large hand onto her shoulder to let her know it was alright. "I didn't expect you to get it the first time," he admitted when she looked at him with a pout. "That wasn't bad for your first attempt though."

Kat sighed, and let him lead her to the arrow that was stuck half an inch into the tree. Had she even hit the deer, it wouldn't have killed it or slow it down all that much anyway it seemed. Lincoln retrieved the arrow, showing her how to salvage it before placing it into the quiver with the rest.

They moved further along, and in the end, her shot never got any better, but it at least never got any worse either. She had the strength to shoot the arrow, just not the aim to get the target. Lincoln was patient though, never growing exasperated with her inability to get better. They tried several times, before he called that lesson to an end, and lead her to a river instead.

Kat found herself sitting on a rock as Lincoln used his knife to carve a spear out of a limb he had hacked off a tree. She couldn't imagine the life he had lived, growing up, forced to survive this type of environment. Kill or be killed. Hunt for what you needed to survive. It all seemed so exhausting.

When he was done, Lincoln then showed her how to fish. Or at least the way his people fished. Kat had seen other methods that didn't seem nearly exciting. She had never been well known for her patience, but Kat found standing there, knee deep in the water in just her underwear, that this was much easier than trying to shoot a deer.

She waited, barely letting herself to breathe, in fear of startling the fish that had mistaken her submerged legs as just another obstacle to swim around. Lincoln had showed her the opportune time to attack, to calculate the speed the fish swam to when she should strike. Math, she could do.

Kat struck in one fluid motion, and as the spear pierced the river's surface, her vision was obscured by the mass of ripples. She didn't let it detour her movements though, following it straight through until the tip struck the ground. She waited a breath, allowing herself the moment to breathe, before she pulled the spear out, and was rewarded with a limp fish run through by her spear.

Kat felt pride, like nothing she had ever felt before, swell within her chest, and her heart felt like it wanted to explode. She looked over at Lincoln, who had stood on the shore to watch her from a distance, and he had a smile of his own teasing at his lips. There was no shock there, no impressed look that told her he was surprised she had managed to do it, after so few little attempts of trying to catch one. The look on his face just simply told her, he knew she could do it. That he had known all along that she was a survivor.

Kat charged out of the river, splashing water everywhere, and dropped the spear onto the rocks, before throwing herself into his arms. He caught her with a slight grunt, before he was hefting her up into his arms, and her legs wrapped around his waist. She cupped his face with her hands, and angled his face up towards hers, before she was kissing him.

Lincoln growled against her mouth, his own opening beneath hers to devour her. She made a sound that seemed to spur him on, and his hands were gripping her ass tightly to hold him firmly against his erection. It had been hard not to get turned on watching her stand there, poised to strike, and half naked in the water. It had been nearly impossible to just stand there and watch, instead of charging into the water, and taking her right then and there.

A branch snapped nearby, and it was Lincoln who tore away from her mouth, his body tensing. It told a lot, how loud they were trying to be as they surrounded them, when they alerted him to their presence when they decided to. It also said a lot, just how distracted he had been, that he hadn't realized they were there until it was too late to do anything about it. Lincoln slowly lowered Kat back to the ground, and she looked confused as she stared up at him.

She could feel the tension in his shoulders, and the set in his jaw as his eyes darted over to the tree line in the direction to his left. Kat followed his stare, and watched as a boy stepped out of the trees. The boy was young, possibly younger than sixteen as he lacked any signs of facial hair, or a muscular frame. His face was painted, and dirty, his clothes covered in foliage to help him blend into the background.

Another grounder stepped out of the trees behind her next, and she only knew he was there, by the way Lincoln turned his attention to look that way. Three more stepped out then, and Kat realized that they were surrounded by grounders.

* * *

 _ **AN: Hey sorry for the wait. But here is chapter 9. I do apologize for any mistakes, I did not get the chance to edit this.**_

 _ **Inky out**_


	11. Chapter Ten

**Rumors**

 **Chapter ten**

Lincoln pulled her a fraction tighter to his body, and she could feel the hard lines of his strained muscles, through the layers of his clothes. He was trying to cover her up, and protect her all at the same time. Kat understood she was only in her underwear, but at that moment, her modesty seemed silly compared to the danger they were most likely in.

" _She is a pathetic hunter_ ," The boy said, speaking in a language she didn't understand. She blinked in surprise, having never heard Lincoln use anything other than English.

Lincoln cut his gaze to the younger male, not bothering to respond to his comment. " _What do you want_ ," he asked instead, using the same language the boy used, but his eyes turned towards the man, who was behind her.

Kat turned her head to the side, trying to get a better view of the person. She had only been able to see the boy, the two on either side of them, and the one that stood off to the side behind Lincoln. They all looked rather intimidating. As much faith as she had in Lincoln's abilities, she wasn't sure he could take on all five of them.

" _Chief Indra demands your presence in Ton DC. You and the girl_ ," the man behind her spat with disgust, speaking in that language as well.

She had no idea what they were saying, but the way Lincoln tensed up suddenly, told her it most likely wasn't good. She lifted her chin, looking up at his face, and trying to read the hard expression there. Worry had his brows furrowed, and the tightness in his jaw line told her that he was trying to keep himself in check.

"And _if I refuse_ ," Lincoln asked, even though he knew the answer.

" _We kill the girl, and drag you back anyway_ ," the man answered.

Lincoln gritted his teeth, his jaw working as he tried to figure a way out of this, without getting any of them killed. He wanted to keep Kat safe most of all, but looking between the men that he could see, he couldn't bring himself to attack them either. At least not without provocation. With Penn and Artigas there, both of whom he had gotten to know well during hunting trips, and time spent around the fire. They were comrades of his, and hunting brothers. He couldn't attack them, when they were just doing what they were told. The other two, however…

"Lincoln," came a warning from behind him, and he flinched at the sound of his name.

Kat looked over at the tallest grounder out of the group of five. He looked to be taller than Lincoln if that was even possible. The sound of his gruff voice repeating Lincoln's name a second time, as if in warning, had her turning her head to look at the man, who clutched her desperately to him. Surprise, had his eyes widening a fraction, and Lincoln slowly turned his head to finally acknowledge the man that had been out of his peripheral vision.

"Nyko," Lincoln said softly in return, and his frame slowly relaxed against her. Not completely, but enough to tell her that he was no longer considering on taking all five of them.

Lincoln turned his head down, and looked at her then, and the expression she saw there, was unreadable. Her eyes searched his face, trying to catch sight of any hint as to what he was thinking, but his face was chiseled into a hardened mask. Her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt, and she was ready to say something, anything, but the words died in her throat.

He reached for her hands, placing his over her own, and helped pry her fingers free. He lowered them down between them, his larger hands engulfing hers, as he stared down at her. "Get dressed," he said softly, and indicated to her pile of clothes.

He released her then, and Kat took a step back, her eyes moving to him, and then to the other men. None of them leered at her naked form, now that she was no longer being shielded by Lincoln's body. The boy, who had spoken first, was determinedly looking away from her, while the others were just ignoring her presence all together, to keep their attention on Lincoln in case he tried anything. Kat swallowed, and she turned away from Lincoln, and quickly did as he said.

The boy moved forward then, keeping to a safe distance between him, and them as he retrieved her spear from near the river's shore. The one named Nyko approached them next, his larger size stepping up to Lincoln, and she realized they were about the same height. He was just heavier, in a broader, muscular way that made him look so much larger than he was.

Nyko looked to Kat then, his eyes moving over her, before turning his attention back to Lincoln. "Come friend," he said, and his tone was resigned. The larger man moved forward, leading the way back into the forest.

Kat stood there, watching as the boy moved to catch up to him, and her eyes shifted in the direction the cave would be. Which would also be in the direction, the dropship was. They weren't going home.

Lincoln took hold of her hand when she lingered there, and Kat found herself being led away from the river. The dropship, her friends, and the cave were all left behind them now. The three remaining grounders took up the rear, and Kat turned around, keeping close to Lincoln's side as they were corralled between the group of men, and headed Northeast.

Kat tried to keep track of the direction they walked, and where the sun sat in the sky, and how much time passed for them to get there. For the entire walk, Lincoln gripped her hand, and kept her close to his side. She didn't mind the strength in his hold, as it helped her stay grounded. If she had been by herself, she would have been truly terrified of the situation she was in.

From the trees, they stepped into a clearing that had been made into a village. Kat was surprised, having seen them pass a statue of a man sitting on a chair, that was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't fathom where she had seen the image before. And then they had walked into a village, that was made up of several small shacks.

Grounders stood outside their homes, watching as Lincoln and she were paraded through the center, along the dirt path that ran between each hut. They came to a stop before a building that was larger than the rest, and a woman with a fierce expression on her battle-scarred face glared down at them. While they were indicated to stop and wait, Nyko moved to join the woman, who was standing with two more men.

They could have been guards, not that the woman looked like she needed anyone to protect her. But if this was their leader, it would make sense for her to have a guard, right? Kat looked between the four of them, unsure of who she should focus her attention on most.

She tried not to look as scared as she felt. Her eyes, wide with fright were taking in the faces of the crowd, that had moved closer to get a better look at her. They kept whispering, and pointing in her direction. They would touch their hair, and point at her some more. Many times, she heard them say the word _Skaikru_ , and she wasn't exactly sure if that meant her, or something else.

Next to her, Lincoln was looking up at Indra with that unreadable expression, his hand still holding Kat's, despite the curl of the older woman's lips when she saw it.

Indra turned her eyes to Kat then, her expression narrowing. Kat wanted to let herself be cowed by that look, to cower under its harsh stare. But the stubborn side of her wouldn't let her, and she found herself glaring back, despite the fear making her heart hammer in her chest hard enough, that it physically hurt. Briefly she wondered if it was possible to die of fear.

" _So, this is what you have been doing instead of following orders,"_ Indra asked after a hush had fallen over the other villagers.

Kat had the impression that they were at their execution, waiting for the verdict on how they would be dealt with. Only she couldn't understand a word of what was being said.

" _I was following my orders_ ," Lincoln answered, his eyes holding Indra's stare, and not letting it show how unsure, and worried he was about the situation they were in.

" _Penn said you were doing more than that, with this girl_ ," Indra said in response, and her eyes slanted back towards Kat, making her straighten in alarm. There was a lot of hate, and disgust in that stare alone.

" _Kat is different than the others_ ," he said, trying to reason with the chief, even though he knew it was pointless. She had no compassion for sky people, and he doubted anything he said would change her opinion.

Kat looked over at Lincoln when he mentioned her name, it being the only word she really understood as they talked back, and forth in their own language.

The woman than said something else, and Kat heard her named mentioned once more. Beside her, Lincoln stiffened, and his expression was furious. Around them the crowd laughed, finding what the older woman had said to be amusing. Kat realized that the woman had either made fun of her, or insulted her in their language.

Kat curled her lip, feeling her hackles rise as her temper started to override her fear. It was like landing in the dropship all over again. These people didn't know her, and yet they judged her, just like everyone else.

Taking a wild stab at the conversation, Kat stepped towards the woman. She was aware of Lincoln's hand tightening around hers, as he attempted to pull her back to his side, but she dug her heels in. She was already mad, and if this had been some cartoon, steam would have been pouring from her ears with the sound of a whistle. She wasn't about to stand there, and let these people talk about her in their fancy little language. She wasn't going to stand there, and let Lincoln fight this situation all on his own. Because clearly it was her presence that had everyone so hostile.

"Yea well you should hear what they called me back at the skybox," Kat said with a twist of her lips, looking up at the woman. She was only guessing that the woman had called her some name, an insult to who she was. By the hush that fell over the crowd at her words, she realized they understood what she was saying. At least some did by the mixed emotions that appeared on their faces. This only made her madder. "They called me Killer, so anything you have to say about me, or too me, is weak compared to the shit I went through up there."

Kat should have been terrified by the enraged expression on the chief's face, but she was too mad. Her expression was hard, drilling into the other woman, as if to dare her to try her. And if the woman took the bait, Kat knew there would be nothing to stop from having her head cut from her shoulders by the wicked looking blade that was attached to the woman's hip.

Before Indra could respond however, Nyko stepped forward, and whispered something to her. Indra snorted, her lips curling as she forced herself to step back.

"We'll see just how weak you are _Skaikru_ ," she said in a thick voice, her English remarkably clear with little hint to an accent. "The Commander demands your presence, Katarina of the _Skaikru_."

 _Commander_?

Kat wasn't sure if she should be more frightened that there was someone who was this woman's boss, or that said person wanted to see her. Kat wasn't given a chance to respond before Nyko indicated for her to follow him.

Beside her, Lincoln refused to let her hand go, and when he tried to go with her, two men stepped forward to forcibly push him back. Kat whirled around, ready to help him, even if it got her killed, but they had only grabbed him by the arms, keeping him from trying to follow her.

"Come on girl," Nyko's voice rolled over her, and she turned her head to look at him.

"I won't leave him," she argued weakly, trying to act much braver than she felt. What would they do to Lincoln? Was there some kind of law that forbade him from fraternizing with a _Skaikru_? Or whatever that was.

"He will be fine," Nyko said to reassure her, and it really didn't help. "It will be worse however, if you refuse."

Kat swallowed around the lump in her throat at those words. She took one last look at Lincoln, but he was blocked now by Indra who was rapidly talking to him in that language again. Sighing, as there was no choice in the matter, she reluctantly followed the larger man to the other end of the village.

The walk was silent, not that the march to the village had been real lively. But now, Kat was positive that she was walking to her death. A part of her rebelled at the idea, while a smaller more familiar part of her was used to this weight. Was used to the cloud that hung over her like some bad omen.

Nyko led her to a hut that wasn't much smaller than the one they had been outside of in the center of the village. This one, sat near the tree line on the outskirts of the village though. Way out of the way, and most likely meant that no one would hear her screaming if things went bad. There was a symbol that was painted on the outside of the wall, and Kat couldn't tell what it represented, but the fact that this building out of all the others had something to separate it from the rest, told her this was the end of the road.

They had reached the Commander.

Nyko parted the door for her, and Kat ducked inside without a backwards glance. She stepped into a large opened room. The first thing she saw was a woman sitting in a throne like chair staring at her with an impassive look. She was beautiful, with thin sleek features, painted with red tribal markings along her cheeks. Her wild mane of black hair fell long passed her shoulders, and free around her face. The woman was dressed in several layers, as if she was prepared for the coming winter months already, and despite the heat that the room had as the sun warmed the shack, she seemed the least bit bothered by it.

The rattle of chains, drew Kat's attention to the far right, and she next saw a form huddled on the ground, chained to a wooden steak, and had apparently been beaten to a bloody pulp. Despite the gore and blood that covered his body, Kat recognized him. Of course, she recognized him, it wasn't like she would ever forget that look, no matter how swollen, and bruised it was.

"You know him."

It was a statement, more than a question, and Kat looked away from Murphy to stare at the Commander. She did her best to keep her features neutral, not wanting to give away what she was thinking at that moment. "Is this where you tie me up, and torture me for information too," she asked and struggled to keep the tremor from her voice.

The woman's lips quirked, and her eyes flickered over to Murphy, before regarding Kat with a cool stare. "Only if you lie to me," she answered.

Kat snorted, but quickly stifled the sound as she looked over at Murphy with a glower. "I know of him," she answered with a half-truth. Because she knew that if she said anything about what Murphy and Bellamy had done to Lincoln, they would most likely kill him after torturing him some more, and then they would kill her. While she really didn't feel sympathetic to Murphy's wellbeing after what he had done, Kat refused to be the cause of his demise. She had enough blood on her hands already.

Murphy stayed quiet, in the wake of her answer, his one swollen eye that was still somewhat visible stared at her, but with how bloody and bruised he was, she couldn't make out what emotions he was feeling. He dutifully stayed quiet, and Kat was grateful for that.

"Alright," the woman said after a moment, as she seemed to accept Kat's answer for now. "So, your people call you Killer? Who did you kill exactly?" The woman's eyes were watching her in a calculated manner, and Kat felt her spine go rigid at the strange questions. She had expected questions on her people. But then, Murphy probably had spilled all he knew, between torture sessions.

Kat looked away from Murphy to regard the small amused smile on the woman's face. Apparently, the Commander found it amusing that she was capable of killing anyone. Looking away, Kat tightened her hands into fists, trying to will her temper to stay calm. She had Bellamy's voice in her head threatening to lock her up, if she didn't calm the fuck down. Wells' voice was pleading for her to keep her words in check, so as to not have her head lobbed off for being disrespectful. The last thing she needed to do was to piss off the grounder's leader.

Kat found her attention drawing back to Murphy, who was sitting a little woozily against the wall. He looked like he was struggling to keep himself awake, and Kat hoped he would pass out, and that she wouldn't have to share this information in front of him.

"Well-?"

No such luck.

"I killed my father," she answered honestly, because she knew that being as truthful as she could, would be the only chance she had to make it out of here alive. She didn't know what Murphy might have told the woman already, and Kat did not want to get caught up in a lie. "He enjoyed beating my mother into submission. And for as long as I can remember that's how things were at home." Kat struggled to swallow as her throat tightened with the emotions she was feeling. At her sides, her hands were visibly trembling as she was forced to share this.

Murphy was wide awake now, and staring at her with his one good eye.

"I came home one day to find he had beaten her unconscious, and I just snapped," she said, keeping what happened that night as simple as possible. She hadn't talked about that night to anyone since she was arrested. She wasn't about to share it in detail with this woman, and with Murphy as an audience. Looking over at the Commander then, Kat found that the other woman was watching her with more interest, and less amusement now. Kat didn't understand what she found so interesting. "I was then arrested for murder, and locked up in the skybox. Sentenced to be floated when I turned eighteen," she finished her explanation rather abruptly.

"Your own people locked you up for protecting your mother," the Commander asked her, and there was disbelief in her tone, and a hardness that tightened the corner of her eyes.

"Yes," Kat butted in, before the woman could even attempt to call her a liar. "Because my mother loved her husband, and she defended him even until the end. So, I was branded a Killer and locked away for over two years. That _is_ how I got the name."

Kat licked her lips as the other woman processed her words. She still looked unconvinced, but Kat had no other way of convincing her. She hadn't even been able to convince the council of her innocence. Why would a grounder Commander believe her?

"Now- I answered your question, I want you to answer one of mine," Kat spoke up, causing the woman to lift her brows at her nerve. "Why am I here?"

"You are here, because I want you here," the woman seemed amused again. The vague answer had Kat fuming. "And you are…?"

"Anya. _Heda_ of the _Trikru_. You must be Katarina, correct?"

Kat swallowed, her eyes slanting in Murphy's direction, before looking back at the Commander. Anya no longer looked amused, with her lips pressed into a thin line, and her eyes staring coolly at her from across the room. Kat nodded her head once, and had to wonder where this was all going, and how exactly it was going to end.

"This boy mentioned you and Lincoln," Anya said, and she stood from her chair to approach Kat. She moved to walk around her, as if checking her out, and Kat tried to keep the other woman within her line of sight at all times, without moving her body. Kat visibly stiffened as the other woman mentioned Lincoln's name. Now she understood why she was here. This was because of her relationship with Lincoln.

"Are you two lovers?" Anya asked her when she stood in front of Kat again.

Kat couldn't swallow passed the lump in her throat. Her mind was working a mile a minute, with her heart thundering so hard in her chest, that she was afraid it might just rip its way out of her rib cage. "Where's Lincoln," Kat asked the woman.

Anya frowned at the question, her expression hardening. "This is not how this works. I ask the questions, you answer," she said with a sharpness in her tone that booked no argument.

Kat stood her ground, not letting herself buckle under this woman's stare. "Where is Lincoln," she asked again, her voice sounding stronger now.

Anya pursed her lips at the girl's stubbornness. The boy hadn't been lying when he mentioned how protective the girl was over the grounder. _Katarina Mason_. She was just a slip of a girl, with barely any meat on her bones. And according to the boy, had stood up against her own people to defend a grounder.

"Nyko," Anya called out to the man who had been lingering outside in case she needed his assistance.

He lifted the door, and suddenly Lincoln was striding into the room. He crossed the small distance between them, and Anya watched as he gathered the smaller woman into his arms.

"Lincoln," Kat whispered, her eyes wide. "Oh god you're okay!" She hugged him fiercely, and when she pulled away, her eyes searched him carefully for any signs of injury, until she was satisfied that there were none. One he was satisfied that she hadn't been harmed, he pulled her back into his arms, not caring who shared the room with them.

"Yes, very touching," Anya muttered with a wave of her hand. She made her way back to the chair she had been occupying earlier, and sat back down. As she watched the two of them together, her expression deepened into more of a scowl. They broke apart finally, to acknowledge her, but their hands were still holding onto one another.

"Your people are a nuisance," Anya said looking at Kat. "They crashed into our territory, and burned down one of our villages. We are on the verge of war, and the two of you..." she trailed off and her lips curled in disgust.

"They intentionally burned down a village," Kat asked, not really believing it. They were just kids, not warriors. She couldn't really see them just taking on a whole village like that without some reason.

"Is there any other kind," Anya snapped, her expression hard.

Kat held up her free hand defensively. "Look I don't know anything about a village being burned down. I haven't been there since-" she trailed off, not wanting to say what happened.

"Since your people tortured Lincoln," Anya filled in smoothly for her, and Kat blinked, her eyes looking over at Murphy in alarm.

"I told you not to lie to me. While you have been vague in answering my questions, I am well aware of your relationship with this boy. He was quite easy to break," she said, her own eyes turning on Murphy with a sneer.

"They are just afraid," Kat tried to explain, and she couldn't believe what she was saying. Trying to make excuses for what they did. "We're weak and afraid, alright. Our group is mostly a bunch of kids that were sent to earth in hopes it was survivable. We didn't ask to be sent here, we didn't have a choice. I'm sorry we landed in your territory, but it wasn't like we planned on it. The dropship crashed there.

"As for what happened with Lincoln- it was wrong. But they are just a bunch of scared kids, that had lost one of their own. Wells-" she struggled to say his name, her throat closing up as his lifeless body appeared before her eyes. "He- he was murdered, and their first pick was me, being the Killer in the group. If anyone is to blame for what happened to Lincoln, it was me. Because of me- they took him thinking he had something to do with Wells' death."

Anya crossed her arms over her chest, her dark eyes regarding Kat from her perch in the chair. It was a long time before she spoke, filling the silence with her carefully picked words. "I don't want a war," Anya said at last. "But blood must have blood. Katarina of the _Skaikru_ -"

Beside her, Lincoln shifted, moving his body so that he stood protectively in front of her at those words. Kat was still trying to wrap her mind around what the other woman meant by blood must have blood, when she found herself bodily shoved behind him. The tension in his muscles concerned her, and she looked around wondering where the threat was.

Looking back at Anya, Kat could see the woman studying Lincoln's position in front of her. The woman didn't look surprised by his reaction to her words, just more annoyed by it.

Anya then directed her gaze over to Kat then, her expression falling back into a neutral expression. She seemed to come to some conclusion, before she started again, taking back her earlier words, with a new directive.

"You will go back to your people, and speak with your leader. I call for a meeting with Clarke of the _Skaikru_ , to discuss a possible truce between our people."

* * *

 _ **AN: Alrighty, so I am aware its been forever and a day since I last updated. All I can say is that life has been hell. So I hope this chapter finds you all in good spirits, and that you all have a wonderful Christmas.**_

 _ **Let me know what you think? My attempt at writing the grounders... and I found it very rough. Hopefully I smoothed it out some.**_

 _ **Did you, love/like/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out.**_


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Rumors**

 **Chapter eleven**

Kat learned how to cook the fish she caught that afternoon, a new experience all on its own, since she hadn't cooked much of anything her whole life. As if that wasn't enough, fish alone was something new, the taste and texture left her unsure if she truly liked the taste of fish, but it was better than living off just berries.

Sitting at the fire with them, the grounders from the village of Ton DC roasted a kill of their own. A buck, Lincoln had told her when one of the children had offered her a taste after she stared to long at the cooked meat they were eating.

At first, sitting at bonfire, had been nerve wracking, but only because she had been the center of attention, as the grounders watched her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Nothing she wasn't used to. They weren't necessarily friendly, but not outright rude to her either.

Next to her, Lincoln's body visibly relaxed more and more as the night wore on, and she kept telling herself that if he was comfortable here, then there was nothing she should be worried about. Picking at her slice of the fish, she pulled out the small bones, just like Lincoln had shown her. That had earned her a few snickers from the grounders close by.

Artigas, the young male's name that had been with the first group to escort them to the village, had found the idea that she had never hunted, fished, nor even knew how to cook, and eat the fish properly, quite amusing. Kat was just so thrilled to be at the brunt of his amusement. The fact that she had never eaten fish before, seemed to break the ice so to speak, and the demeaner around the camp became more carefree. Children chased each other around the fire, while the adult relaxed and went about their nightly routines.

She brought the piece of fish she had cleared of bones to her lips, her eyes catching sight of the boy, Artigas staring at her again. Annoyance, had her brows furrowing and she glared at him in return, before shoving the food into her mouth, and chewing angrily.

Beside her, Lincoln's shoulders shook with a silent laugh as he watched the exchange. "You're fitting in well," he mused out loud, when she gave him the same look. She wasn't thrilled at being laughed at. Which was probably one of the many reasons not so many people liked her. Octavia, Monty and Jasper most likely tolerated her, then actually enjoyed her company. Wells had been the glue to their strange comradeship. After his death-

Kat shook her head, focusing on the here and now. She couldn't think about that right now. "How did you come to that conclusion," she asked after swallowing her bite. Her manners hadn't completely fled her. She might have been a tad bit rude to her hosts, and outright mean to the boy smirking at her from across the bonfire, but that did not mean she would belch, and talk with her mouth full of food in front of these people.

"Artigas seems to like you."

At her incredulous look, he added quickly to make his point, "He wouldn't acknowledge you otherwise. The others are a bit hard to tell, but the fact that we are both alive, and not being interrogated, is a good sign."

Kat plopped the next piece of fish she had cleaned into her mouth as she thought about his words. She had to admit, even if it was just to herself, they didn't necessarily treat her like her own people had. The other delinquents had treated her like an outcast and avoided her since day one. It had taken time for the few, being Octavia, Monty and Jasper to warm up to her. Here, she had been invited to eat with them. And while they did stare at her, none of them seemed to be whispering about her, at least that she could tell.

Her eyes moved about the thinning crowd. Before the sun had set, most of the village had stood or sat near the fire, drinking and sharing the meal. She had listened, cowed by so many people with sharp weapons lingering close to her and Lincoln, as they talked in their own language. A few of the warriors had talked in English, and mostly it had been about the hunt that day, or their plans for the next day. The commander had not joined them, most likely torturing Murphy some more, though Kat had not heard any sounds coming from that direction, to implicate that.

The sun had set some time ago, and slowly the crowd began to thin out, and only a few stragglers lingered at the fire with them. Lincoln had finished eating, having more experience in deboning his fish, than her, and seemed quite at ease to sit on the ground, leaning back against the log she was seated upon, and stare up at the night sky.

Artigas finally seemed to lose interest in her as he started talking to another grounder that sat with him on his side of the fire. She wasn't able to hear or understand what they were saying however, as the few words she caught over the crackling fire were in their own language.

"Do you think I could learn your language?" she asked Lincoln, dragging him from whatever thoughts that had distracted him. He tipped his head back, and Kat quirked a smile at the look he gave her. "Or is that against your rules or something?"

He seemed to mull over her question for a moment, as if dredging up every grounder law his people had in case there was something forbidding her from learning his language. "I don't see why you couldn't," he said after a moment. "You want to learn it?"

Kat nodded her head, not even hesitating. She was quite curious, having only known one language her whole life. "I'm sure it will be like trying to teach me how to hunt though," she said teasingly.

Lincoln groaned, as if the idea pained him, but the curl at the corner of his lips told her he wasn't deterred from trying to teach her.

"I'm serious, it could even be worse," she added after finishing her fish, and licking her fingers clean. It wasn't her favorite taste, but it had done the trick to fill her empty belly, and she felt comfortably full now.

Their teasing seemed to have caught the attention of Artigas and his friend, who were both now watching the exchange with curious expressions. Kat hadn't really noticed, as the last bit of tension she had been feeling since being surrounded by armed grounder down by the river, finally lifted from her shoulders. She shifted her position so that Lincoln now sat between her legs, the inside of her knees brushing the sides of his arms. Her hands moved to rest on his shoulders, her fingers massaging at the tight muscles between his shoulder blades.

Leaning back into her working fingers, he made a sound that would have gotten them reproachful looks from her own people, but here, the grounders merely ignored it, and went back to what they were doing.

"You should have more faith Katarina. I taught you how to fish, did I not," he said with his eyes closed.

Kat nodded her head, even though he couldn't see it. He had taught her how to fish. How to slice the fish, and clean it properly before cooking it. He was an excellent teacher. "I guess we will have to see," she said finally giving in with a small smile.

His eyes opened then, and he stared up at her with his head tipped back. Their eyes caught, and her hands stopped what they were doing. "No matter what other people think of you Katarina, there is nothing you should be ashamed of, or feel inadequate about," he said simply. Her eyes searched his, and she could see the truth behind his words. He meant what he said.

Kat licked her lips, and she watched his eyes move to her mouth to track the movement. Like a moth to a flame, she felt the pull, and she leaned down, without even thinking to. She pressed her lips to his forehead at first, and his eyes closed at the feather light touch. She moved down, and pressed her mouth to his. She felt his exhale against her chin when she nipped his bottom lip. There was a moment of awkwardness when their mouths opened, and teeth clicked together as the kiss deepened. Kat would never say she was a skilled kisser, having only ever kissed Lincoln, but kissing him in this position, with their mouths upside down from each other, and their tongues tasting the other, seemed to level the playing field in her opinion. She smirked against his lips, when their teeth clicked together again, and she pulled away to look at him. Their faces were a breath apart, and she could read the heated look in his eyes as it matched her own.

"So you're wanting to learn our language huh," Artigas suddenly spoke up, startling Kat enough that she bolted upward. She looked over at him to find him sitting on the log next to her now. He looked between them, and seemed to ignore the look Lincoln sent his way to focus on her. His dark eyes looked her over, as if he was skeptical that she could learn something.

Kat leveled him with a glare. "Haven't you ever been taught any manners, such as not eavesdropping on other people's conversation," she said with curl of her lip. He was like the annoying little brother she never wanted.

Artigas smirked. "Nope," was his response. Before he could add more however, another grounder joined them on the log to sit on the other side of her. Kat's hands shot out, grabbing Lincoln's shoulders to steady herself when the log threatened to roll from the heavier weight.

With great trepidation, she turned her head to look over at the taller man, recognizing him as the one Lincoln had called Nyko. The larger warrior nodded to her, before focusing his eyes on Lincoln. He said something to Lincoln in their language, and nodded in her direction.

Kat pulled her hands away from Lincoln's shoulders, and crossed them over her chest. This was getting old. She tried not to think about them talking about her, when she couldn't understand what they were saying. She couldn't decide what hurt worse, knowing what was being said about her, or not.

Lincoln shifted so that he could look at her fully, and she found herself looking back at him, even though she wanted to look somewhere else. Distract herself somehow. "Yes," he said, and Kat blinked at him. He had said it without looking away from her, and apparently whatever Nyko had asked him about her, he had agreed to it. Nyko grunted in response, as if he had known the answer, and beside her, Artigas made a slight gagging noise.

Kat looked between the three of them, not sure what to make of it.

Before she could ask, Lincoln slowly climbed to his feet and turned to face her. Kat lifted her head to look at him, her brows pinched together as the unreadable expression there in his darkened features. With the fire behind him, the dark shadows that hid his face from hers, made it hard to read him, but she didn't think that was it entirely. There was something in his eyes, she had never seen before.

Lincoln held his hand out towards her, and her eyes dropped down to his open palm, before reaching out with her hand and placing it in his. His fingers curled around her smaller hand and he pulled her up from the log and into his arms. "We should rest," he said softly. "Nyko was kind enough to offer a place to stay." He had added as an almost after thought and nodded towards the larger man.

Kat turned her head to look at Nyko, and from the look he was giving Lincoln, told her that he had not given them permission to sleep in his hut. Again, before she could ask, Lincoln was tugging her along. Kat felt her cheeks warm as several of the grounders still lingering around the fire turned to watch them go.

Lincoln led her through the village, following the pathway back between the shacks to one that sat closest to the statue they had passed to get to Ton DC. Letting her hand go, he lifted the door that had been made of leather and furs to keep the chilled air out, for her. Kat ducked under his arm, stepping into the small room that was just beyond the thin walls. She looked around, taking in the home with a single glance.

There wasn't much to look at, with a dirt floor, and wooden boards that made up as the four walls. In one far corner was a matt covered in furs, that Kat took to be Nyko's bed. On the other side of the room, was a rolled-up matt and several folded-up furs, that had been neatly tucked aside for later use.

Lincoln dropped the door to close them into the small space, and stepped inside behind her and cross the room to the folded bedding. Kat watched him as he laid out the matt for them, making it as appealing as his own bed back in the cave. It was then that something occurred to her.

"Why don't you live in the village," she asked him while his back was to her.

He paused from smoothing out the furs, his head inclining to the side to glance back at her. He considered her question for a moment, as if trying to find the words to better explain them to her.

"I love my people," he started to explain, and he slowly stood from where he had kneeled beside the bed he had made for them. "But we don't always see eye to eye. Nyko offers me a space when I stay in the village when I join in for the hunt, but I prefer my space."

Kat listened to his words, nodding in agreement as she could relate with them. Growing up in the skybox, she had grown accustomed to her solitude, and now after being forced to share the confined space of their camp with almost a hundred other people was enough to make her feel claustrophobic. She couldn't escape to her tent even, not when she had ended up sharing it with Wells and now with Monty, Jasper and Octavia. The only time she got her own space was when she left the safety of the camp walls.

"Katarina," he called her name, when he noticed that she had retreated into her own thoughts after his explanation.

"Kat," she automatically corrected. Only her father had ever called her Katarina, and she preferred the shortened version of her name.

"Katarina," he said again, the stubbornness to call her as he preferred, causing her brows to pinch together. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, we should get some sleep."

Kat swallowed back her retort as his words sunk in. They had to return to the camp tomorrow. Or at least she would have to. She wasn't sure how welcoming the group would be if she brought Lincoln back with her. She would have to try and convince Clarke to meet with Anya also. The thought terrified her. How did she end up in the middle of all this? Trying to prevent a war from her people, and his.

Kat blinked at her own thoughts. They weren't her people. She may have fallen out of the sky with them, but she had never been a part of them. Not even back on the Ark, and most definitely not now. From what she could tell it seemed Lincoln felt the same way.

 _It's us, and them._

"You're right," she said instead of saying what she was thinking. He cared about his people, and Kat wasn't about to make him pick her over them. Plus, Nyko seemed like an okay guy. And Artigas wasn't that bad.. just annoying like a rash you couldn't get rid of.

Kat shrugged out of her jacket and carefully folded it before laying it down where he had gotten the bedding from. Lincoln followed her lead, and they both stripped down to more comfortable wear, their boots and weapons set aside with their jackets.

Lincoln laid down beneath the furs and when Kat hesitated, he indicated for her to join him as he held open the covers for her. Kat smiled shyly at him, as she eased down onto the matt, rolling onto her side so that her back was to him. He draped the furs so that they covered them both from their toes to their shoulder. Kat shifted to get comfortable, but then two arms snaked around her and she found herself pulled back to his chest.

Biting her bottom lip, she turned her head to look at him from over her shoulder. His nose brushed against hers affectionately, and she felt herself melting into his embrace. She released her bottom lip and leaned back to press her mouth against him. He returned the kiss readily. It was rather tamed, compared to all their previous kisses, with no expectation of anything more following the action. They broke apart, breathing each other's air. Her eyes searched his face, seeing that look had returned and she didn't know what to make of it.

Kat sent him a small smile, before she turned back around, shifting in his hold till she was using the inside of his arm as a pillow. She felt him settle behind her, with one arm tucked around her stomach to keep the back of her body flushed against his front. It took a few moments, with the sound of crickets chirping beyond the wooden walls, and the gentle breathes that filled the silence within the hut.

Lincoln knew the moment she had drifted off, her body easing back into his, and her breath evening out. He stared at the back of her head, his eyes tracing over the stitches there on the side. The arm wrapped around her middle, shifted and he flattened his palm across her stomach, his thumb gently rubbing back and forth over the thin material of her top.

He couldn't seem to bring himself to sleep, at least not yet. He couldn't shake the feeling how close he had come to losing her, again. It was remarkable how she had faced off with their Commander and came out untouched. Their Commander hated sky people, more so than even Indra and that was saying a lot. He hadn't been surprised to see Murphy there, the moment Octavia had mentioned he had been kicked from the camp, it was only a matter of when, not if, his people picked him up for answers.

He wondered what Anya meant by Blood must have blood, whose would be enough to pay the debt, if she was really wanting a truce. Was she planning an attack, to double crossing the sky people, and get revenge on the village that had been burned down? Because of his ties with Kat, no one was willing to tell him anymore than what Anya had told them. He never thought the idea was even possible, and even now he was in disbelief.

Suddenly the door to the hut lifted, and for a brief moment, light from the moon filtered into the room, casting a silvery glow on them. In his arms, Kat made a sound, her head turning to bury beneath the furs, but she didn't wake.

Nyko stepped into the doorway, his large frame blocking out the light as quickly as it had come, and he dropped the door behind him, before stepping into the room further. Their eyes met briefly, even in the darkness of the hut. Grunting, Nyko turned away to walk towards his own bedding.

"You should be sleeping," Nyko said gruffly. He seemed more willing to talk in English with Kat fast asleep, and he wondered why that was. Did they all think she was dangerous, if she knew what they were saying?

Lincoln stayed quiet for a moment longer than needed, but it seemed to draw Nyko's attention back to him. He was in the process of dressing down for the night, but stopped to glower at his friend.

"Can't," he finally said, and his eyes dropped to look down at the back of Kat's head.

From across the room, Nyko grunted. "Try harder," he said simply and removed his jacket. He climbed into his own bed, settling with a soft groan beneath the furs.

They settled into a comfortable silence, listening to the distant sounds of the night beyond the walls, and the soft snores coming from Kat as she continued to sleep unaware. After a moment, Nyko inquired, "Why?"

It took Lincoln some time to understand what answer his friend was seeking, as the man laid on his back, with his gaze trained up to the roof of his home. His arms were crossed under his head like a pillow, and he seemed unwilling to elaborate. But it occurred to him, that he wanted Lincoln to explain to him, the answer he had given back at the fire.

Always blunt and to the point, Nyko wanted to know, why her?

His attention moved from his friend, to the woman in his arms. He didn't have to think about the answer. All week he had all that time to himself to ask himself that same question, as his own obsession to watch and follow her around, since she appeared outside the dropship, weight heavily on his mind. He'd never been so curious over a person, at least not since he had stumbled upon the man that had barely survived his fall from the sky, back when he was a child. At the time, Lincoln hadn't realized the man had tried to commit suicide, and that keeping him alive was more inhumane that finishing him off. He had always been a curious child, wanting to understand where that man had come from, and why he was there. But with Kat, the feelings had been the same and yet in a way so much different. As he gotten to know her, the curiosity he felt, changed to something stronger and much deeper.

"She's like us," Lincoln said softly, not wanting to wake her, but he knew Nyko could hear him despite the softness in his tone. "And yet she is her own person. Like me. She doesn't fit in with her own people, and while she struggles with the knowledge that they won't accept her, and that no matter what she does, she will never fit in, she keeps going. She's strong, and caring. She had no reason to risk her life to save that boy Jasper, but she did it anyway because she knew it was the right thing to do, and that she could do it." Lincoln paused in his explanation, his eyes lifting from Kat to look over at his friend. The man had rolled over onto his side to watch them, his expression impassive.

"She's not willing to back down, even if it means getting herself killed, to protect the people she cares about. Beaten and bloody, she was ready to take on her own people because of what they did to me. She was ready to take on Indra and Anya, if it came down to it." Lincoln stopped then, his eyes dropping to look at her once more. He wondered briefly when his feelings for the girl had changed from curiosity to this overwhelming tightness that entered his chest whenever he looked at her.

From the moment, she stumbled out of the dropship, it had been inevitable, he realized. This feeling of falling, he had felt as each day passed and he watched her from afar. He knew he had been lost the moment he had seen her trying to out run the fog, being left behind by her own kind. That time in the bunker they had spent together, and he knew there was no going back to the way things had been before. Perhaps it had been then?

"Lincoln," Nyko said on a sigh, and there was a twinge of disappointment in his tone, along with acceptance. "You could never follow the easy path." The older man shook his head, and rolled over to turn his back to them. "Get some sleep friend, we will be heading out early tomorrow to take her back to her people."

Lincoln didn't say anything more, and while he dreaded what tomorrow might bring them, he relished the here and now. He held the woman he loved in his arms, pressing his nose into her hair to breathe in her sent. As silence fell over the hut once more, he slowly drifted off to sleep, allowing whatever tomorrow might bring, that they would face it together.

* * *

 _ **AN: Hey there! I just wanted to thank everyone that hasn't completely washed their hands of my inability to be reliable in updating so far..lol Your reviews are awesome. Thank you to those who Favorited the story as well. I do hope it continues to be to your liking.**_

 _ **Also I'm really sorry about the lack of using the grounder language.. I have looked at the website that goes over on how it works, and I cannot figure it out. I've never been good at picking up on that sort of thing, cant even speak Spanish XD... my friend always shakes his head when he says something in Spanish and I give him my best clueless look. (Looks something like o_O?! this..)**_

 _ **Anyways, tell me, what did you think of that cute scene there in the end? I wrote it and I still go awwwwww when I reread it lol... Let me know if you Like/Love/Hate it.**_

 _ **Inky out!**_


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Rumors**

 **Chapter twelve**

The next morning, Kat woke to heaving breathing, each exhale ghosting across her face, and her expression scrunched up with confusion. Blinking her eyes open, it took her a moment to remember where she was. She lay sprawled on her back, in Nyko's hut, on a bed Lincoln had made for them the night before. She could no longer feel Lincoln's weight in the bed with her and his absence left her feeling rather bereft. That is until her eyes managed to focus sharply on the face mere inches from her own.

She yelped in surprise, and would have screamed if a hand hadn't suddenly slapped down over her mouth to muffle the noise. She blinked in fear, her body shuddering with the idea that the grounders had changed their mind. That they had taken Lincoln and had come for her now. But then slowly her eyes zeroed in on the amusement in the dark brown eyes staring down at her, followed quickly by the curl of his lips.

Enraged, Kat wrestled out from beneath the furs and shoved the boy off her. Artigas stumbled back with a cry, having not expected the strength she wielded.

"You, asshole," she snarled, while scrambling to her feet. At her sides her hands tightened into fists, and she really wanted to slam one into his smug little face.

Artigas laughed at her expression. "You should have seen your face," he said as he stood back up, laughing at her as he did so. He waved a hand at his own features with tears in his eyes. "Epic."

She glowered at him, feeling steam pouring from her ears. "I'm-" she began slowly, and he seemed to notice the seriousness in her expression as his own seemed to sober up. "going to kill you."

His eyes widened, and before she could even take a step towards him, he darted out the door, nearly tearing the fur from where it was pinned to the doorway, in his haste to get away. Kat waited a beat, to make sure he wasn't coming back, before she flopped back down onto the matt at her feet. She threw the furs over her head with a groan.

Her reprieve was short lived as a gruff voice from outside called. "Time to get up, kid."

Kat lifted her head, the furs lifting with her as she had buried herself beneath their warmth. She glared at the doorway, until the voice slowly dawned on her. That had been Nyko, not Artigas telling her to get up. Feeling suddenly nervous, Kat threw the covers off herself.

"I'm up," she called, not wanting him to have to come and retrieve her, if she didn't respond. A grunt was all she got in return, and then his retreating footsteps. Sighing heavily, Kat sat on her hunches, her eyes looking around the darkened room. There weren't any windows to allow the morning light in, but a small gap between the fur and the ground told her that the sun had definitely risen. Lincoln must have let her sleep in.

Kat climbed to her feet, and went to work on folding the furs and rolling up the matt. She tucked them to the side where Lincoln had gotten them the night before. Afterwards, she slipped her boots on, tying the laces securely. She armed herself with her shiv, before pulling her jacket on. Inside the hut, it was comfortably warm, but she knew once she stepped outside, the chilled morning air would bite right through her layers.

She took one last look around, making sure nothing had been left behind, before she let the safety of the shack. She dropped the fur as she slipped out, her arms crossing over her chest as a bitter wind swept across the clearing from the west. A quick look to the sky, showed dark ominous clouds overhead, threatening with rain. She wondered how long the storm would wait, before it made itself known.

Kat started back in the direction to the fire pit. She followed the path between buildings to the clearing where several grounders were already feasting on their morning meal. She spied Lincoln on the other side of the burning fire, talking with Indra quietly. As she approached, his head lifted and their eyes caught.

Before she could head his way, Artigas jumped in front of her, his expression one of annoyance. "That wasn't funny," he said to her, his lips curved down into a frown.

Kat smirked at his expression, before she raised a hand to pat the top of his head in mock affection. "Aww is someone's feelings hurt," she teased. He growled in annoyance as she rubbed her knuckles into his scalp, tousling his hair. He jerked away from her then and he wrinkled his nose in annoyance. He was barely an inch taller than her, and it gave her the confidence she needed to tease him so easily.

Laughing, Kat shoved passed him, and made her way to Lincoln. Indra had long since left the fire pit, and Kat wondered briefly if that was because of her appearance.

Lincoln was smirking at her as she came up to his side.

"What," she asked when he continued to look at her like that.

"You seem to be fitting in pretty well," he mused out loud, before offering her some breakfast.

Kat gladly took some of the roasted meat, and even though she had no clue as to what it was, plopped it into her mouth. She chewed carefully as she thought about his words. Her eyes looked around at the people, as they spent time together near the fire. No one seemed uncomfortable with her presence there. Even Artigas's opinion of her had changed. He no longer seemed repulsed by her company, just annoyed by it.

"Except for your chief though," she mentioned, recalling the way Indra had sneered at her.

"Not because of you," he answered her honestly. "Both Indra and Anya have little regard towards _Skaikru_."

" _Shaikru_? Is that what I am-? I mean what you guys call us? The other kids back at camp?" She asked, wanting to know what it meant.

" _Skaikru_ means sky people. People that fall from the skies. There have been very few over the years, this is the first time so many have fallen at once. Its making everyone nervous." As he explained the situation, he kept his voice soft, so as to not draw anyone else's attention to what they were talking about. He lowered himself down onto the log they had used the night before and indicated for her to join him.

Kat slowly sat down beside him where Indra had once been seated just moments ago. Only she sat much closer with her arm pressed against his side. Lincoln offered her more food.

"It's probably pretty frightening," she mused out loud, though the words were more for herself than for him. She chewed thoughtfully as she considered the grounders point of view on the intrusion. Their dropship landing in the middle of their territory, could have been construed as an act of war. And then for whatever reason, the others had burned down a village. Something she would have to find out on what happened. "I'm sorry we just crash landed like that. I mean I can't really speak for the others, but I do know we had no intentions of landing there. If anything, we were supposed to land on Mount Weather, but something happened to the coordinates-"

"Mount Weather," Lincoln said out loud.

Kat looked over at him, seeing his brows pinching together with concern.

"Yea, I guess there's a facility there we were supposed to try and reach- I donno, Clarke knows more about it. Her and the others had attempted to reach Mount Weather when we first got here, but uh-" She hesitated then, remembering what had happened on that scouting trip. Her eyes shifted to gaze about the campfire, taking in each grounder, and wondering which one had been the one to hurt Jasper.

"You must stay away from Mount Weather," Lincoln said suddenly, the warning tone drawing her attention back to him.

"What? Why?" she asked, not understanding.

"It's dangerous."

Kat raised a brow, her eyes searching his face but only finding weariness just beneath the seriousness of his expression. "Is that why Jasper was attacked?" she asked, suddenly wanting answers for what had happened to her friend.

"The mountain belongs to the mountain men," He said in a whisper, and if she hadn't been so close to him with her attention focused solely on what he was saying, she might have not even heard what he said. It even took her a moment to process his words.

 _Mountain men?_

"Promise me you won't go- no matter the circumstances," he said suddenly, the sharpness in his voice drawing her out of her thoughts to focus once more on him. "Promise me Katarina."

"I- I promise," she answered quickly, the tone of his voice causing her to stutter. It didn't even occur to her, to argue with him over the matter. She hadn't thought much further on what her next destination would be after she went back to the camp. After she somehow convinced Clarke to meet with Anya, Kat had just assumed she would go where Lincoln went.

His expression softened, as the tension in his body seemed to ease at her words. Kat found herself looking away then, as she processed her own thoughts. He had offered her to stay with him, back when they had been in the cave. Had that just been yesterday? She recalled now, that she had never given him an answer to his offer, and she had to wonder, if the offer still stood.

Lincoln offered her another piece of the cooked meat, and Kat took it readily. "Why do you insist on calling me Katarina," she asked, deciding on an easier conversation than one that needed to be discussed. She needed time. Time to think on what the day might bring, and what the day after that would entail.

The corner of his mouth curled up into a hint of a smile, his eyes looking over at her, from his peripheral, as he chewed his food. He waited until he had swallowed, before giving her answer. "You are not just a cat," he said at first, his head turning in her direction to give her his full attention as he explained. "But a wild and untamed feline. You are a Katarina, and I will only see you as such."

Kat licked her lips as she processed his words. She knew her nickname stemmed from the pet cats, people had kept as companion's years ago. She bit her bottom lip. Lincoln saw her as something fierce and wild. Not a house pet. Not a companion to be tamed. Her lips curled into a small smile at this.

Leaning over, Kat intended to give him a chaste kiss on his cheek, but he had turned his head to capture her lips with his own. She leaned into him then, a soft sound escaping her as his arm curled around her back to pull her closer. As if he couldn't get enough.

Pulling back, their eyes searched each other. Her heart felt thick and heavy inside her chest, pressing almost painfully tight against her sternum.

"You two ready?" Came the gruff interruption of the moment they had been sharing.

Turning, Kat and Lincoln looked over at Nyko who was giving them both a hard look. Kat couldn't tell half the time if he was annoyed, or just didn't care about what was going on between her and Lincoln. There were times when she would see that look in his eyes, a hardness with an underlining look of concern. Then other times, he didn't seem to care one way or another.

"Yes," Lincoln spoke up for the both of them. He got to his feet and helped her up beside him.

Lincoln collected his bow and quiver of arrows, slinging them over his shoulder before moving to join Nyko. Kat walked behind them at first, her arms crossing over her chest as she studied the two from the rear. They seemed close, like brothers. They were nearing the edge of the village, where the statue was, when Artigas came jogging up to them.

"Hey wait up! Can I come?" he asked, his expression hopeful as he looked at Lincoln.

Before he could respond, Nyko grumbled out a, "No." Not even pausing in his pace, as he pushed forward and passed the statue with little care to the disappointed look the boy gave him.

Lincoln followed his friend without saying a word to the boy and Kat only hesitated for a moment, waving at him with a curl of her fingers as she reached him, before she picked up her pace to join the two men. Behind her, Artigas sighed out loud and kicked out at the ground, before he turned to head back to the village.

She spared him a glance over her shoulder, seeing his back disappear as their group entered the trees. Focusing her attention ahead of her, she caught Lincoln glancing back at her, and she gave him a quick smile to let him know she was okay. She disliked the idea of going back. She had hoped to never have to return to the camp after what they had done to them.

 _We don't always get what we want though_ , she mused to herself. Anya was giving her no choice but to go back and make peace with the others. She just hoped there wouldn't be some kind of trap to get their hands on Lincoln again.

The journey back to camp, was kept in silence with Nyko leading the way. She was glad she hadn't been asked to take them, since she had no idea which direction the camp was from Ton DC. After a while though, Kat was weary of the silence. It gave her too much time to think. To contemplate everything that had happened in just a few days. It was frightening how so much could change in such a short amount of time. A week ago, her world had consisted of an eight by four cell, with walls covered in marks to keep track of each day passing. Her only companions were the guards that fed her when they saw fit, and they never spoke unless it was to try and get a rise out of her.

Now look at where she was. Kat lifted her head from where she had been studying the ground in front of her feet, to look at the trees they passed. She was on earth. She had people in her life, that truly cared. For whatever reason, since she couldn't fathom why they did. Her eyes skipped towards Lincoln, watching the way his body moved with each step, the way his head inclined to listen to a noise that had caught his attention in the distance.

She had Octavia, Monty and Jasper waiting for her back at camp. She had Lincoln leading the way back to them. She already lost Wells, because she had been too stubborn to accept what he had offered her from the moment she stepped off the dropship. She wasn't about to lose anyone else, and that was why she kept putting one foot in front of the other. She would do this for them.

"We're here," Nyko said quietly, his body coming to a sudden halt, that had Lincoln and her both stopping behind him. He nodded his head in the direction just ahead of them.

Kat walked up beside him, and she could just faintly hear the sounds of the camp just through the trees. They were out of sight though, but she could hear the jumbled voices as the delinquents started another day.

She dreaded going back. Her palms were already sweating with her nervousness as she eyed the trees in front of her. She heard a female laugh, but couldn't distinguish who it belonged to from this distance. It had been several days since she had willingly walked through the front gates.

The last time she had gone through them, she had been dragged through as a traitor.

"Katarina," Lincoln said her name softly, as he came up beside her. His hand fell onto her shoulder and he gave her a reassuring squeeze.

She looked up at him, her head turning just to the side so that she could look at his concerned expression. "I'm okay," she said after a moment passed between them. _I can do this for them._

Because they cared, and they were her friends. Octavia, Monty, Jasper and Lincoln. They were all she had, and she didn't want anyone else to die because of her stubbornness.

"I promise," she said, her voice coming about a little stronger than before, surer of itself. She gave him a fleeting smile, before she started forward.

Lincoln's hand fell away as she started walking away. It dropped to his side, and his fingers curled into a fist. He didn't want her to have to go alone. To walk through those gates and face the people that had attacked her because of him, on her own. He glanced over at Nyko, and the man must have seen something in the look, because he viciously shook his head no. "Don't," the man said, but Lincoln was already moving.

He jogged after her, reaching her side and pulling her to a stop. His orders had been to let her go alone. Indra had come to him that morning and told him that if he even set foot inside the camp he would be branded a traitor. But he didn't care. He only cared about one thing right then.

Kat lifted her head in surprise when his hand gripped her arm and pulled her back around to face him. She blinked, her mouth opening to ask him a question, but he pulled her body flush to his. He silenced her question with a kiss. When her body melted into his, he growled beneath his breath, his hands gripping the back of her head to hold her steady and his fingers curled into the wild loose mane of her hair.

She was brave, and beautiful, and she was his.

"Katarina," he breathed her name when they pulled apart. Her lips were swollen from his devouring kiss, her cheeks flushed and her pupils dilated with her desire for him.

"Lincoln," she whispered back, and she licked her lips as if to remember his taste.

His eyes searched her face, his hand loosening from the grip at the back of her head to caress the side of her face. He watched as her lips quirked into a smile, her expression softening as she stared back at him. "I'll be okay," she said it again.

He knew she would be. She was a survivor.

"I'll be watching," he finally said, his arms reluctantly releasing her. She nodded her head, and he saw the relief that crossed her features, even though she tried to hide it from him. He indicated to the trees, and he watched her bite her lip with a knowing smile.

"Such a perv," she muttered like it was some inside joke. When she turned away from him, her movements seemed steadier. More determined. The fear and unease seemed gone as she slipped through the trees, heading back to her own people.

Lincoln shifted the bow over his shoulders, before he looked at each tree. He spotted the one that had become his temporary home for the past week, and headed towards it. He paused at the base, suddenly remembering Nyko. Turning his head, he glanced back to where he had left the man, but found him missing. He looked in all directions then, trying to spy his friend hidden within the trees, but he was nowhere to be found.

With a small sigh, Lincoln turned back to the tree, and leapt up to the low hanging branch. He heaved his body up to his familiar perch and eased himself against the bark. He removed his bow from his back, and reaching for an arrow, as he turned his attention towards the camp. From his place he could see Kat stepping out of the trees before the gate. He looked over at the two boys manning the wall, and stiffened as fear crawled up along his spine.

* * *

 _ **AN: Howdy all, hope the new year has been good to everyone. Hopefully you all like the latest chapter, and that the antics between Artigas and Kat are as amusing to you as they are to me. He's like the little brother she never wanted XD... lol anyways, let me know what you think. Did you like/love/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out!**_


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Rumors**

 **Chapter thirteen**

 _Oh shit._

Kat had known this was going to be a bad idea. Immediately her hands raised, palms open in the universal sign of surrender, the moment she caught the attention of the two boys standing guard. The fear that lanced through her, had her eyes jumping from their faces when she realized she didn't recognize them, to the weapons they had pointed down at her. From this vantage point, she was as good as gone if they decided to pull the trigger.

 _How the hell did they get such big guns?!_

She didn't recognize the type, other than that they were a hell of a lot stronger than a measly pistol. Some kind of automatic? She wouldn't even have been able to run back into the trees for protection before they gunned her down.

"Kat?"

She swallowed thickly, her hands shaking as her head jerked up to look at the one who talked. His face didn't bring any name to mind. One of the many she hadn't bothered to try and get to know while living inside the camp. She really regretted that now.

"Yea," she whispered, wondering if acknowledging the name was a death sentence.

"Bellamy's been looking for you," he said, and his lips twisted into a frown.

"O-oh?" she inquired, because she couldn't think beyond that his finger still hovered over the trigger, and that seemed awfully stupid. She didn't want to die like this. Not yet anyway. Maybe when she was an old lady, in her death bed, after having lived a full life.

"Yea... Him and Clarke want to talk to you. Diggs- let her in," he said, nodding his head to the boy keeping watch with him.

Kat turned her attention to Diggs, finally putting a name to a face. He was one of Bellamy's faithful followers, but she had only heard of his name in passing. She never met the boy before now. He was of average size, just a few inches taller than herself, with pale skin much like her own. His dark brown hair was kept short, and when he glanced at her, she caught his stare for a moment, before he was quickly dropping his hazel eyes to the ground in nervousness.

Diggs dropped from his place on the wall to open the gate, as ordered. His gun was lowered, the barrel pointed to the ground, and Kat felt like she could lower her arms finally. The gate opened wide, and she looked beyond Diggs to the hustle and bustle of camp life. Everyone was out and about, working one chore or another. A lot had happened in her absence it seemed. A few buildings had been erected within the walls, some looking similar to the huts the grounders had made, and others appears to be for storage.

As she was led inside, and the gate closed behind her, she took a moment to look at each of the buildings. She made sure to study the new layout of their camp, in case she needed to make an attempt to escape again. One of the closest buildings looked like it was for food storage, and the other next to it a weapons cache.

"Where did all the guns come from," she finally asked, unable to help her curiosity.

"Bellamy and Clarke brought them back," Diggs quickly said, and she caught a hint of worship in his tone when he mentioned the two by name. "They found a bunker loaded with weapons- now we can take on those grounders if they try anything-" he stopped suddenly, his eyes flickering over at her as if he just remembered who he was talking to.

Her curled lips had him looking away sharply, and swallowing hard. It was as if he wasn't the one holding the gun and had her at his mercy. He trembled beside her, as if she was the one armed and not him.

"I'll take it from here," the boy from before suddenly appeared beside them. "You keep watch Diggs."

Diggs nodded readily, and scurried back towards the ladder to climb back up to his perch at the wall. Kat watched him go, her brows raised with concern. "You guys seriously trust him with a gun?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"He's a good shot," he said from beside her, and when she looked at him with disbelief, he shrugged his shoulders, since he couldn't explain how that was possible with words. It just was.

"Okay... so who are you?"

"Oh right," he said suddenly, his lips quirking into a small smirk at her expense. "Our paths never crossed before now, huh... The names Nathan, Nathan Miller." He held out one hand, the other holding the barrel of the gun point down towards the ground.

Kat pressed her lips together, not recognizing the name. He must have been as much as a recluse as she had been, just not as famous.

Like Wells, Nathan was dark skinned, though not nearly as dark as Wells had been. His eyes, which squinted at her in the dim morning light appeared to be a dark brown, and surprisingly they held no fear or disgust when he looked at her. Just weariness. His gaze shifted to the gate behind her, and perhaps to the trees beyond it, as if expecting someone, and she wondered if they really thought she would bring Lincoln back after what happened.

Nathan was of average size, slightly taller than her smaller frame, but not by much. He wore a beanie on his head, hiding the fact that most of his dark hair was shaved really short.

Kat took his hand and shook it firmly, not sure what to make of the action. What did this say about where she stood amongst the other delinquents? She had been branded a killer, an outsider and even a traitor. What was she now to them?

"Well anyway, come on. Bellamy was planning on heading out again to look for you, but since you're here…" he said, his voice trailing off, as he dropped her hand and started towards the dropship.

Kat was reluctant to follow, not wanting to walk back into the same space where her and Lincoln had been tortured. At her sides, her palms began to sweat, she wiped them wearily down the legs of her pants. She caught several others stopping to watch as she was led through camp. Some she recognized from before, others she couldn't put names to their faces like Nathan and Diggs.

When they reached the dropship, Nathan climbed the ramp, and lifting the fabric that had once been part of the parachute, he stepped inside. Kat lingered outside for a moment, her head turning just slightly, to look back towards the trees standing tall over the camp walls. She couldn't see him, not that she had expected to. But she knew he was there. She could feel the heat of his stare, even from here.

Licking her lips, she jerked her head in just a small nod, before she lifted the fabric and stepped inside the dropship.

"Kat!"

Her head jerked to attention at the shout, and she was nearly bowled over by Jasper who had jumped her the moment he realized it was her. Her arms raised comically in front of her, as Jasper pulled her into a crushing hug. Uneasily, she dropped her arms around him, to return the affection.

"Hey Jasper," she said softly, and she realized then, that she was truly happy to see him again. "You're looking good."

The boy pulled back with a wide grin. "So do you," he said in turn and he reached up to gently touch the cut on the side of her head. "It looks like its healing pretty fast."

Kat nodded her head. The stiches hardly bothered her anymore. Occasionally they would itch, but she couldn't feel any pain from the cut anymore, which she was grateful. It wasn't like they had easy access to painkillers down here.

"Where's Octavia and Monty?" she asked, her eyes dancing around the inside of the dropship. Usually the three were inseparable.

"They headed out early to look for you. When you didn't return to the –" he paused then, his eyes glancing over at Nathan, who had been watching the exchange with keen eyes, dropped his voice to a whisper, "cave. They went looking for you. We thought the grounders got you."

Kat grimaced. How on the nose.

"Well I am here now…" she said, trying to change the subject.

"Right. Jasper, you stay with her, I'll go get Bellamy," Nathan spoke up then. He moved passed them, not bothering to wait for a response from Jasper before he headed back towards the exit. "Oh and- we have the comm up… you know if there is anyone you wanted to talk to back on the Ark."

Kat watched Nathan leave, before turning her questioning gaze back to Jasper. "Oh right... Octavia mentioned it the other day, remember. Monty and Raven were able to build a comm with the Ark using Raven's transponder. Oh yea- you don't even know who Raven is. Oh, jeeze you've missed do much. Raven is Finn's girlfriend- or well ex-? Maybe? I'm not even sure anymore. It's like a soap opera in this place now. Days of Our Camp Lives, or some shit like that." He shook his head, making a disgusted look at the idea. "My mom loves shows like that."

Kat stared at him as he rambled on and on, her eyes blinking at him. "Okay," she said, since she really didn't know what else to say. She had enough on her plate already, then to really care about the triangle mess between Clark, Finn and this Raven girl.

"I bet you want to talk to your mom!" He said suddenly, his excitement getting the better of him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and started dragging her into the back room.

"No," she began to protest, but he was already rushing on, telling her his reunion with his parents.

Kat swallowed back the bile burning at the back of her throat, trying to dig her heels in, but he seemed to overpower her. She found herself being pushed into the vacant chair, but the seat felt warm like someone had been sitting in it not that long ago.

"Jasper really," she tried again, but he was already turning the computer on.

"There you go, Clarke's mom, she's always has their side open for anyone who wants to contact them. Just let her know who you want to talk to and she'll get them," he said in a rush. He then gave her two thumbs up, before slipping out of the room to give her privacy.

Kat stared opened mouth at the doorway. She was so flabbergasted, that the static that crackle from the computer coming to life behind her, had her nearly jumping out of her skin in fright. She jerked back around to face the screen, watching as it flickered with life. She swallowed, finding her mouth awfully dry as a vaguely familiar face appeared on the screen.

The woman looked tired. Much older than she remembered. Her brown hair tied back into a messy ponytail, and her brown eyes were darkened by dark circles from lack of sleep or stress. It could have been both, easily.

Kat had only the pleasure of meeting Abigail Griffin, on a few occasions. The first time, had been when she skinned her knee while running through the corridors, in an attempt to get home before her father realized she was late. Abigail had been in the infirmary at the time when she had been brought in. She must have looked absolutely terrified, because Abigail had done everything she could to make Kat feel comfortable in her brief stay there. Of course, it had only worked for the moment, until she had gone home to her furious father and crying mother.

The last time Kat had seen the woman was the night she killed her father. Abigail had been brought in to see if she could revive the man, but it was quickly realized her attempts were pointless. Abigail had been part of the Council members, that had agreed to lock her up in the skybox. Of course, Kat didn't know if Abigail had agreed or disagreed in the voting process, not that it mattered. The council members only had what little evidence that had been given to them at the time. Kat knew it had been her mother's testimony that had been the deciding factor on the guilty verdict.

"Katarina?" The woman said in amazement, suddenly sitting up in her chair.

Kat looked at the woman nervously, unsure how she felt that the woman recognized her. That could be construed as a good or bad thing. Kat was leaning more towards the latter.

The woman suddenly stood up, leaving the screen, and Kat feared she was going to get her mother. "No I don't want-" she started to shout back, but the woman was gone. "Shit," she cursed, and dropped her face into her open palms. She really couldn't handle talking to her right now. Over and over in her head, her mind played out their last conversation, and her stomach knotted up with what other hateful things her mother could say to her now.

 _Murderer!_

 _Killer!_

 _I wish you were never born!_

She heard the chair squeak, indicating someone had sat down.

Weariness, drooped her shoulders and she lifted her head to glance at the person sitting there, only to stiffen.

This was much worse.

Chancellor Jaha stared back at her.

The tears came unbidden, and she choked back a sob as it strangled her. She could see Wells there, in the cut of his chin, the darkness of his eyes. The kindness she could see in the gaze as he stared at her. Kat reached out, her fingers touching the screen. She would give anything to hear the exasperation in his voice at something else she had done.

"I'm so sorry," she said to him, and she pulled her hand back to hug herself. God she was so sorry.

"I-" the man began, only to pause when grief made his voice go hoarse and he had to clear his throat. "I know you expected to speak with your mother Katarina, but I wanted a chance to talk with you first. If that is okay?"

Kat couldn't understand why he was being so kind to her, his voice was soft as if he tried to comfort her, when really it should have been the other way around. He had lost a son, and she had only lost a friend. Their grief was two worlds apart. Despite all this, she nodded her head to his question, wondering what he wanted to say.

"I wanted to thank you," he said thickly, struggling to keep his emotions in check. At her confused look, he continued to explain. "You were there for Wells, when I couldn't be. Clarke told me about your friendship. She said that you and Wells were close. That he really cared for you."

His words brought another wave of tears, and her arms tightened their hold around her. She felt like she was barely holding herself together, that at any moment, she might fall apart. She didn't understand why he was saying all this. They had hardly known each other. Their friendship formed from the hardship of trying to survive being surrounded by people that hated them. She had hardly been nice to him, barely tolerated him.

"He looked out for me," she whispered suddenly, her voice thick with her own grief. "I really didn't deserve it, but despite any of it, he did. Wells- he was a good man." She looked at the Chancellor then, and she realized that was all he wanted to hear. She watched as a tear slipped passed his defenses, and he reached up to wipe it away quickly.

"Thank you, Katarina. I really-" he swallowed, his head nodding when he couldn't seem to get the words to form. "I also thought you would want to know-" He stopped, his head turning to acknowledge someone that was off screen. He nodded to something they said, before turning his eyes back to her. His expression cleared, the grief shoved back to be dealt with in private as he steadied her with a serious look.

"We looked into the error that occurred with your release from Lock-up," he said. His voice still sounded rough from grief, indicating that his emotions were not so easily pushed aside.

Kat swallowed, feeling the bile rising back up. What did that mean? She held his stare, terrified to hear what he had to say, but also desperately wanting to know.

"Katarina Mason- you have been pardoned for the crime of murdering your father."

Her eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. Just because she had been Wells' friend? She shook her head, wanting to interrupt, but the Chancellor held up a hand to silence her.

"Your mother recanted the statement she gave two years ago. All charges have been dropped. As for the mix up with your release," it was now that he paused again, his emotions struggling to the forefront once again. "My son- Wells. From what we were able to find out, was that he hacked into your file and added you to the list of names to be placed onto the dropship sent to earth."

Silence followed his words.

Kat stared unchecked at the screen, no longer seeing the Chancellor, or even Wells in the older features of his father. Tears slipped from her unblinking gaze. Her chest felt painfully tight, her throat closing up with another wave of grief. One thought slipped through the tangled mess.

Wells had saved her.

"God this is so fucked up," she breathed out. Why did something so terrible have to happen to such a good person?

Chancellor Jaha didn't comment on her choice of words, but instead heaved a tired sigh. "I just thought you would want to know what happened," he explained. "Your mother is here- she would like to speak with you."

Kat straightened up in her seat. She wasn't sure she could handle another emotional conversation though. Before she could object, the man stood and suddenly a much older version of herself sat in the chair across from her. She stiffened in her seat, anger swelling up inside her.

"My Kat," she whispered as if she couldn't believe her eyes. The woman reached out to touch the screen as if she couldn't bare for them to be apart.

She felt herself drawing back, as angry tears spilled from her eyes. "I hate you," she seethed. She watched the woman jerk back as if the words were like a slap.

"You left me to rot in that cell for two years!" She suddenly screamed, unable to hold it in anymore. Two years of agony, loneliness, and the worst kind of rejection, fueled her rage. "All because you loved a monster!"

Kat looked away, unable to look at her mother. The grief, and acceptance she saw there was tearing her up inside. How could she just sit there? Like all those years, of taking the beatings, and the verbal abuse from a man she claimed loved her. Kat slammed her fists down onto the surface in front of her, and she felt satisfaction as the woman physically jumped at the sudden violence.

"Wells is dead because of you," she snapped. "because of me! Because I lived so long without anyone in my life, I didn't realize what he was, what he was trying to do. You ruined my life. You and _Him_!"

Tears spilled from her mother's eyes, and she nodded her head in agreement to her words. She knew. Her mother knew.

Kat sagged back down into her chair, her arms folding across the surface in front of her. She buried her face into the crook of her arm and sobbed. "I'm not a cat," she whispered brokenly into her arm.

"It's okay Kat," Her mother whispered. "Let it all out. I can take it."

The words had her lifting her head, squinting at the screen through the tears when she recognized the words and the tone. She vaguely remembered telling Lincoln that the night Bellamy had turned to her with the strap. Blinking the tears away, she sluggishly lifted herself back up into a seated position.

And she suddenly remembered her mother saying those same exact words, anytime Kat tried to protect her mother from the beatings. Any time _He_ came at Kat to punish her with his rage, her mother had always stepped in, to take it.

Kat shook her head at the words, shaking hands reaching up to wipe away the tears. "I- I can't deal with this right now," she said suddenly. The need to run was so strong in that moment. She searched the controls in front of her, but couldn't seem to grasp as to which one was the off switch. She caught sight of some wires and reaching out, ripped them free to end the connection. She watched her mother's face distort before fading out completely.

Kat sat back into her chair, feeling exhausted.

"God what a shitty day," she muttered weakly. She slowly sat up, needing fresh air, more than ever. She walked through the doorway, stumbling to a startled stop at the audience waiting for her in the other room.

Immediately, she shut down her expression, her features hardening with annoyance. Her sharp gaze looked at Jasper first, who had the decency to try and look at anything but her. Bellamy, Clarke and Nathan however didn't bother to hide the fact that they had heard the entire conversation.

"What," she snapped out, feeling her hackles rise with her annoyance. She wasn't in the mood to be gawked at like a caged animal at a zoo.

"I'm sorry," Clarke suddenly blurted out and Kat's gaze jerked to her with a glower.

"You're sorry," she said with a curled lip. "About what princess?" she asked, using the nickname Bellamy always called her. "About how shitty you treated me since the moment we landed here, or are you sorry about giving him permission to torture two innocent people?"

Clarke swallowed. "All of it," she said softly. "I made a mistake, and I am really sorry Kat. There's nothing I can say to take back what I did, and what I let happened. But I am still sorry for them. And I know nothing I can do to make up for it, but I would like to try."

Kat pulled herself up to her full height, which wasn't a whole lot, but it gave her the strength not to buckle under the pressure of everyone's stare on her. Clarke was right. Nothing she could do, would change what she did. Nothing could get Kat to ever forgive her. But there was something she could do, to at least not make any more mistakes.

"Fine," Kat said, and she watched the surprise flicker across the blonde's face.

"We've all done some shitty things, that have brought us to where we are at now," Kat continued to speak, looking at each person in turn. Whether it was just for being locked up in the skybox for the crimes they pulled back on the Ark, or for the stupid choices they made down here on Earth, they were all here. Together. "So right now, we need to end this. We are on the verge of a war, that none of us can even comprehend because we are just a bunch of stupid delinquents. Before we lose any more friends, any more people we care about, we need to find a way to fix this. The grounders are willing to create a truce with us, if we are smart enough to try and make peace."

The silence that followed her words, didn't seem very comforting.

"I know each of you have no reason to trust me, or them. But everything you thought you knew about me was a lie. A rumor, passed from one person to the next. You can bet, I heard them all. Yes, I killed my father, because he beat my mother unconscious, over some little thing she did that set him off-.

"And Wells, he was a good person, and we all treated him like shit because of who his father was. We never even gave him a chance to be anyone other than his father's son. The grounders, have hurt us-" she looked over at Jasper, hoping that her words didn't make him hate her. But he still refused to look at her, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. "But we landed in their territory, destroyed one of their villages. We're lucky they haven't declared war on us already. If we don't try for peace, they will slaughter us, and no matter how many guns we have, they out skill us in the art of fighting." Kat wasn't entirely sure about their skills in fighting, but she knew the grounders were more prepared to survive on earth than they were.

"Okay," Clarke suddenly spoke up, filling the silence with a determination, Kat hadn't really expected. "What do they want?"

Kat breathed a sigh through her nose. She knew this was far from over, but at least she had one person agreeing with her. "Their leader wants to speak with you, to discuss the terms of the truce," she said, watching Clarkes reaction.

Bellamy spoke up before Clarke could say anything. "It could be a trap," he said, looking between them.

Kat shook her head. "It could be," she answered truthfully, because she would be naïve if she didn't admit the idea hadn't crossed her mind once or twice. "But I really think they want to avoid a war. I've been to one of their villages, and they're just like us. People, living their lives, fighting to survive. Preparing for winter. They have families, and love ones, just like we do. The difference between us, is we lived in the sky and they lived on the ground. But we are all still human, and if we can set aside our differences, I think we will find we hold more in common than we think."

Bellamy gritted his teeth. "I don't like it," he admitted.

Clarke nodded her head. "I'm willing to take the chance," she relented. "If something happens to me, then you know what to do Bellamy."

She had made up her mind.

Kat looked at Clarke, feeling gratitude that the other girl was willing to try. "I'll be with you," Kat said quickly. "If this does end up being a trap- I'll do my best to make sure you get out alive Clarke."

The blonde furrowed her brows at the sentiment, but it was Bellamy who asked. "Why do you suddenly care?"

Kat shot him a sharp look. "Because Wells cared about her. And I don't want any more of us to die over this stupid rival," was her answer. "So, are we doing this?"

Kat looked between each person in the room, and one by one, they each nodded their heads. Though both Jasper and Bellamy seemed reluctant to agree. Kat nodded her head, relieved nonetheless, that she had managed to pull this off. Turning from the group, she headed for the exit. She shoved the parachute aside and stepped out. The cooler air bit at her face, and she closed her eyes to allow herself the moment to just breathe.

Opening her eyes, she reached up and wiped at her face, ridding herself of any trace of her grief. She had known returning would be rough, but this was more than she had been willing to take on. Both the Chancellor and her mother, all in one afternoon. She really hadn't expected the Chancellor to do what he did, though. That had been a shock.

She was free.

Really free.

Kat really wasn't sure what to think about that. No longer carrying that guilt, that fear that one day she would just end back up in the skybox, once the mistake was realized. Kat found herself searching the trees, wondering if Lincoln was still there. More than anything, she wanted to just walk through those gates, and leave everything behind her. She didn't want to think about what Wells had done. Had truly done for her. The thought of it, brought more tears to her eyes, and she viciously wiped them away, not wanting Lincoln to see her grief.

Dropping her gaze, she stared at her feet, trying to decide on what she should do. They weren't expected to meet with Anya until the following day, which gave her the rest of the day, to kill, so to speak. Leaving didn't seem like an option, no matter how badly she wanted it. She didn't want the others to see something that wasn't there. Like that she had sided with the grounders, and this was a trap. The only side she was on was her own. And that one entailed keeping the people she cared about, safe.

With her attention drawn within, lost in her own thoughts, Kat didn't hear the parachute move behind her, or the sound of boots stepping out onto the ramp to join her. It wasn't until a body stopped next to her, and the person asked her a question. Startled, Kat jerked back in surprise, her eyes widening as she looked over at Nathan. He stared at her expectantly, and she blinked in return.

"I'm sorry what?" she asked when she realized he was waiting for an answer. She hadn't heard or understood what he had asked her, and the look he gave her now, sent heat crawling in her cheeks with embarrassment.

"I asked- do you really trust them?" He asked again, slower this time, like he thought maybe she was slow.

Kat scowled in return, her lips twisting down, and her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. The gun he had pointed at her from over the wall, was slung over his shoulder, forgotten, now that he no longer saw her as a threat. He stuffed his hands into the pocket of his pants, his shoulders coming up to his ears as he continued to give her that look. "I mean- do you believe that they actually want peace. The grounders? Cause right now, Bellamy is trying to convince Clarke that this is a trap and I'm in half of my mind to agree with him."

Kat nodded her head at his words. She understood his weariness. It's hard to change your opinion on someone, and it wasn't like she was able to reassure them with hard facts that this was all legit. Licking her lips, Kat considered her next words very carefully, because she knew that she needed to convince Nathan, if she had any hope of convincing Bellamy of accepting this truce.

"What was your first thought, when you realized I had been set free on earth with the others," she asked him. Kat forced her expression to stay neutral, not wanting to let her emotions sway his answer one way or the other. She didn't know the exact answer he would give, but she knew the gist of it. She had seen it countless times in each of the other delinquents since she had stepped off the dropship.

He gave her a hard look, his lips pressed together like he didn't want to answer that question. In the end, he caved, his shoulders slumping as he looked away from her. "That I wanted to get the fuck out of here," he answered honestly.

"Exactly," she said with a nod of her head. "You couldn't believe a killer like me was set free, right?"

His expression was pinched, but he nodded his head.

"I lived two years in the skybox, listening to the rumors Nathan. I know them fairly well, since the guards stationed in the hall that housed my cell were never shy in repeating them," she told him, and her eyes watched his face as he stared at her in return. "Being set free, wasn't much of a picnic either. I mean, with Murphy badgering me nonstop, and Bellamy threatening to lock me if I looked at someone the wrong way. It wasn't like anyone was really willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, right?"

Again, he nodded to her question, and his brows were furrowed together, like he wasn't really following where this was going.

"So you can see, I don't trust easily," she said, finally getting to the point of her explanation. "I mean I don't trust the grounders, because I don't know them. But I trust Lincoln. With _my_ life. With Jaspers, and with Clarke's."

Nathan stared at her for a long moment, before he dropped his chin into an acknowledging nod. "That's the grounder that-." he couldn't bring himself to mention the torture, his eyes narrowing with a look of disgust.

"The one Bellamy tortured," she said just as aforementioned man stepped out of the dropship. He pulled himself up short, his expression hardening when he realized what they were talking about.

"I'm not going to apologies," he said tightly, looking between them.

Kat looked over at him, her own expression closed off. Bellamy ended up looking away first though, and she gritted her teeth in annoyance. "I didn't expect you would, Bellamy," she said after a moment, when the tension settling between them, didn't seem like it could handle much more.

Bellamy looked up at her again, his brows furrowed with suspicion.

"You were only doing what you thought was right," she explained, and it took all of her will to say the words calmly. Having to share the same room with him, had been hard, and she had done her best not to even look at him, but instead had focused her attention on Clarke. Dealing with Bellamy now, was wearing on her nerves though.

At her sides, her hands tightened into fists and she would give anything to deal him the same punishment he had given her and Lincoln. But within her head, Wells kept telling her to calm down. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to continue, spitting the words out with all the hate she felt towards the man. "But we were innocent in Wells' death. Lincoln did nothing to you, or anyone else in this camp, other than risk his life to save mine, and allowing me to get the seaweed to Jasper before he died. So, no Bellamy, I don't expect an apology from you, but don't expect any kind of forgiveness from me."

She pointed a finger back towards the dropship, her aim towards the computer where she had just dealt with her mother's apology. "I don't forgive easily-." Before she could say more, she heard someone calling her name.

Turning, Kat found Octavia running from the front gate to the dropship. Straightening, she barely had a chance to brace herself, before Octavia had thrown her arms around Kat into an overwhelming hug.

"God I'm so glad you're okay," Octavia breathed, pulling back to get a good look at her. "Hey- that's a good look on you." Octavia grinned then, her eyes looking at the shaved part of Kat's head and how her thick hair was parted on the side so that the thick of it fell to one side.

At the mentioning of her hair, she reached up to finger the shaved side, and ghosting over the stiches there. She hadn't really though much on her hair, or how it looked. There really hadn't been time to dwell on it.

"Thanks," she said weakly, feeling her anger draining from her with her attention averted.

Looking over Kat's shoulder, Octavia gave her brother an annoyed look. "God Bells what did you do this time," she snapped. When he tried to argue, she waved a hand flippantly at him as if to tell him to go away. "Whatever- I don't care." She grabbed Kat's shoulders and steered her down the ramp and into the camp. "I'm just so glad you came back. Did they apologies?"

Kat shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't like it mattered one way or another. Monty stood near their tent waiting, and Kat found herself being pushed in that direction. Monty opened the flap, and she was ushered inside with Monty and Octavia slipping in behind her.

"You okay," Monty asked her as soon as she fell onto her old bed with an exhausted sigh.

"No," she answered honestly.

Would things ever be okay?

Wells was still dead.

Bellamy was still an asshole.

Clarke was still clueless, though it looked like there was some hope for her.

Her crimes had been forgiven by the one man, she had thought would despise her, and who had good reason to.

Her mother was sorry.

And there was a good chance that by this time tomorrow, they would be at war with the grounders.

Now where did that put her and Lincoln in the middle of all of that? Did they pick sides? Would she be able to pick a side?

"Want to talk about it?" Monty asked her, seeming genuinely concerned.

Kat turned her head to look over at him, but her attention was drawn to the changes that had been made to the tent. Wells' bed sat untouched across from her, but they had added three extra beddings between them. It appeared that Octavia, Monty and Jasper had made the tent their home in her absence. Not that she really minded.

"Not really," she finally answered his question, her eyes landing on Monty once more. "I'd really rather not think about the shit storm that is coming, and think about something different."

Just then, the tent flap zipped open and Jasper let himself in. His eyes immediately sought her out, and Kat knew then, that what she wanted, wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"I know Jasper," she said, reading the look in his eyes after he had zipped the tent shut and took a seat on his own bed. She could read the betrayal there, and the hurt. She knew how much he despised the grounders. He only barely accepted Lincoln, and that was a weak acceptance at that.

Kat looked up at the roof of the tent, thinking of her next choice of words. "I know, nothing that I say, will change your mind on them, but just like us, not all of them are bad. And sometimes, you just have to accept the bad with the good, because the good doesn't deserve to die because of the choices made by others." She was tired of explaining herself, of defending her choice. Not that it was much of a choice anyway.

She looked over at Jasper again, and he was staring back at her still. Only his expression had changed, and he didn't look so betrayed as before.

"Wells died, because Charlotte couldn't forgive what his dad did to her parents," Monty suddenly said, speaking to the group.

Kat stiffened at his words, but she looked over at him, wondering what he was getting at. Both Octavia and Jasper were looking at him as well.

With their combined attention on him, Monty almost looked like he was going to buckle under the pressure to explain. But then, he quickly straightened himself in his seated position, and swallowed back his nervousness.

"Should any more people die, because we couldn't forgive what one person did to us?" he asked the room, his eyes looking at each of them.

Jasper swallowed, his Adam apple jumping and he looked away as he considered Monty's words.

Kat sat up in her bed, suddenly getting what the boy was trying to say. "Monty is right," she said, drawing Jasper's attention back to her. "I came back, despite what they did to Lincoln and me, because I don't want to see any of you die. I already lost Wells, I can't lose you guys too."

The two boys blinked at her, and their mirrored expressions, were enough to roll her eyes. True she had just confessed that she thought of them as friends, and that she cared about their wellbeing. But she might as well had announced that she was pregnant, with the shocked look they were giving her.

"Aww you care," Octavia teased suddenly, breaking the silence.

Scowling, Kat reached for the closest thing, and snagged a spare boot that had been set near the wall of the tent and chucked it at Octavia's head.

The girl ducked, her arms hugging herself as she bent in half as she laughed. "Oh god, the look on your face," she continued to tease between peals of laughter.

Monty was the first to chuckle, and Jasper was soon to follow. Kat looked between her three friends, trying to maintain her annoyance, but her lips quirked into a small smile.

"Okay- okay- we get it," she said softly.

It took the three a few moments to sober up, though. They lay sprawled across their beds, each winded from laughing at Kat's discomfort.

"So you really think of us as friends," Monty asked for clarification.

Kat stared at him, until he returned her look with his own and their eyes met. "Yea," she said seriously.

Monty nodded his head, leaving the conversation at that.

"Bout time," Jasper muttered from where he was laying.

Octavia snorted.

"Oh jeeze, you guys act like it's the end of the world," Kat snapped out, glaring at each of them, with little heat in her gaze.

"Well it is," Jasper responded. "End of the world I mean… But hell- I say bring it."

"Yea- could be fun," Octavia added. "Never seen an end to a world before."

"If we really go to war with the grounders, it won't be fun at all. I don't want to fight Kat and Lincoln," Monty said honestly.

"Oh yea- that would suck," Octavia murmured, before rolling onto her side so that she could look over at Kat, without having to sit up.

"Let's just hope this isn't a trap then," Jasper said, finally jumping on board with making a truce with the grounders. "Then it won't matter, right?"

"That's the spirit," Monty said while playfully punching Jasper's arm.

Jasper rolled his eyes at his friend's word, then suddenly he was sitting up in his bed, and scurrying across the floor to where his bag lay near the closed flap. He dug around inside, cursing when he couldn't seem to find what he was looking for.

All the ruckus, drew their attention to watch, curious as to what he was up to.

"Ah ha!" he exclaimed suddenly, pulling out a couple pouches from deep within his bag. He quickly tossed one over to where Kat and Monty were seated, since his bed was closest to hers. Kat barely caught it, her fingers clumsy as she pressed the bag to her chest to keep it from spilling its contents. Jasper then crawled back over to his bed, sitting closer to Octavia.

"What is this," she asked, shaking the bag to hear the slight rattle.

"Diggs found some nuts the other day. Bellamy was wanting us to conserve our food source, since foraging is getting harder each day, but I snagged a couple of these this morning," he said with a big grin. He poured a handful into his palm and shoveled it into his mouth.

At the mentioning of food, Octavia was scrambling up into a seated position, holding out her hand for some. Jasper was quick to give her a handfull, while looking over at Kat.

Kat poured some into her palm, her index finger poking at one nut as she studied the food. They weren't the same nuts she remembered eating a few days ago, the ones Wells had offered her. "You sure they're safe to- eat?" She frowned when she saw both Jasper and Octavia inhaling the nuts from their shared bag.

"Uh yea," Jasper said with a mouthful.

Kat shrugged, since neither had keeled over, and tentative tossed one into her open mouth. She chewed, finding the bitter taste agreeing with her empty stomach. Pouring half the bag into her palm, she handed the rest to Monty, before digging in.

Octavia was the first to finish her meal, laying back down on her bed. "I never thought I would say this, but I miss Ark food."

"Yea," Jasper said in agreement. "I miss being full."

"I second that," Monty said with a mouthful. He had shoved all of the nuts into his mouth and was struggling to chew and swallow.

Kat shrugged her shoulders, since she really couldn't remember a time when she wasn't hungry. She had just learned to deal with it, and try not to think about.

Laying back onto her bed, she sighed.

Silence fell over the group, and Kat had just started to think they had all fallen asleep, when Jasper suddenly spoke up from his side of the tent.

"I feel weird."

* * *

 ** _AN: Hey! So a little bit of a cliff hanger there. Any guesses on what's going to happen next? *wiggles eyebrows suggestively* Anyways let me know what you think. Do you love/like/hate it? What are your thoughts on Kat's influence in the show? I feel that she would cause changes to how things would progress, but some thing could still happen, even with her there. But anyways let me know what you think^^ your thoughts and opinions mean a lot to me :)_**

 ** _Inky out!_**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Rumors**

 **Chapter fourteen**

"Oh, my god," Monty suddenly whispered from where he was seated on his bed, his eyes widening as his mouth slowly moved to form the words. He looked around the tent, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Blinking slowly Kat turned her head to look at him, and the world tilted with the movement, as if her equilibrium was off center.

"What?" Jasper asked, peering down at where Monty was staring in amazement at his own hand now, like it held all the answers to their problems.

"Everything is just so amazing, the fresh air-," Monty took in a deep breath at his words, tasting, smelly feet and B.O from the close quarters filled with four people. "Look at all the pretty trees," he added, his head lifting from where he stared at his hand to peer around the tent once more.

Both Jasper and Octavia turned to look as well, both their expressions filled with wonder.

"Oh! A nut!" Monty grabbed one that he must have dropped on the ground earlier and tossed it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, savoring the bitter taste.

Monty's eyes landed on Kat, and suddenly he was scrambling to his feet and hurried towards her. "You're so pretty can I hug you Kat," he asked in a rush.

Again, Kat blinked slowly, her movements slow and overexaggerated when she turned her head to look at him. The world tilted again, and she asked him, "What?"

Unwilling to wait any longer, Monty threw himself at her, his arms encircling her in a tight embrace. His sudden weight, threw her off balance and they dropped back onto her bed with an, oomph!

They both laughed out loud, even when their heads knocked together a few times when they tried to untangle themselves. Monty was finding it suddenly difficult to get up, his limbs no longer cooperating.

Across the tent, Octavia snickered. "Oooh don't let Lincoln see," she teased with another snort. "Does that count as a transgression against the grounders? Monty hitting on one of their girlfriends?" Her eyes were large, looking over at Jasper in a staged whisper.

Jasper's eyes darted around the tent at the mentioning of grounders. "What- where," he yelped out loud, before jumping to his feet. He looked over at Kat and Monty's tangled limbs, his breath hitching in alarm. "Oh god, we have to warn the others before they attack!"

He stumbled towards the exit, falling to his knees in his haste to get outside.

"Hey wait," Kat shouted, when she realized what he was doing. She shoved at Monty trying to push him off her, but he only seemed to hug her tighter to him. "Monty get the fuck off!"

"I just want to give you a big hug Kat, don't fight it!" He pleaded in return.

Kat finally managed to wiggle free, rolling onto her hands and knees, just as Jasper had unzipped the flap and scrambled out of the tent.

"The grounders are-" he shouted the alarm, but his words halted as he staggered to a sudden stop. Seeing something that wasn't there, he jerked back, nearly tripping over his own feet trying to get away.

Kat crawled on her hands and knees out of the tent, the world still topsy turvy to the point that she could barely stand on her own two feet. "Jasper come back!" She snapped, sitting back on her hunches to look around the camp.

She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes focusing hard on each person that passed by. Nathan suddenly dropped in front of her, a large grin plastered on his face as he looked at her.

"I'm so glad you came back," he admitted, still smiling.

Kat closed one eye to focus better on his face, and it slowly dawned on her that he was high. "What the hell kind of nuts were those," she asked suddenly. It was the only thing that seemed to make sense to her.

"The jobi nuts?" Nathan asked her, his head tilting back as he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

Kat furrowed her brows at the ridiculous expression on his face. Reaching over she shoved him on the shoulder and watched as he tipped over, landing on his back. Frowning, she held her hand up to her face, thinking she hadn't pushed him that hard.

"Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat," Octavia called her name several times, grabbing her friend by the arm to try and help pull herself up to her feet.

Kat nearly pulled them both back to the ground as she staggered on her feet from the extra weight of her friend, but at the last second managed to hold out her arm at her side to steady herself like she was balancing on a tightrope.

"Where's Jasper? I heard him screaming grounders are attacking, but I don't see any grounders," Octavia asked her.

Kat glanced over at the other girl, before looking around at the camp. "I lost him," she muttered, her brows furrowed. Pulling her arm free, she staggered forward, in search of Jasper.

Octavia watched her go, her attention suddenly distracted by Nathan laying on his back pointing up at the sky. Tipping her head up, she tried to see what seemed to have captured his full attention. "Look, look!" he shouted still pointing.

"I- I don't- look at what Nathan?!"

Kat left the two behind, her feet stumbling over every little pebble and tuff of grass that got in her way. She felt like the ground was up to her knees, having to lift her leg up higher and higher, to avoid tripping. Each step was slow and carefully planned out, as if she had to contemplate each one she took.

Kat stared at each person she passed, watching as they each were locked in their own hallucinations. This is bad, she mused to herself, but couldn't seem to form much worry over the matter. She needed to find Jasper before he got himself hurt.

She soon found him, but he was with Clarke, who looked reasonably sane unlike the rest of the camp. Kat nodded her head, suddenly not worried anymore. She really couldn't remember why she had been so concerned.

Monty suddenly came running passed her, missing her by mere inches with his arms out stretched for another hug. Glowering, Kat turned on her heels, only to come face to face with Wells.

"Wells," she whispered in shock, her eyes blinking slowly once or twice. "No- No you're not Wells." She reached up to grip the sides of her head.

"Still trying to push me away?" He asked her.

Kat glared at him, feeling her heart lodging itself in her throat. "You're not real, its- it's the nuts. Jobi something…" she tried to reason with her own hallucination.

"They make us see things."

"Like you needed any jobi nuts to make you see things Kat," the hallucination argued with her.

"You're not real!" She snapped at him through gritted teeth, and glared at him.

He just gave her that look, his hands coming up in a peace offering, his eyes widening in shock. Like he didn't know what to say or do to her outburst.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, feeling her voice quivering, when he refused to disappear.

He just shook his head.

Kat blinked. The movement slow, and when her vision cleared, suddenly Wells stood before her with his throat slit and his eyes staring at her blankly.

She yelped, jumping back as he staggered towards her and dropped to the ground at her feet. "Oh god, oh god!"

She moved to fall to her knees to help him, but suddenly two arms were wrapping around her, pulling her back to her feet. "Monty let me go! Wells! I need to help Wells! Can't you see he's dying!" She fought the grip on her, thinking Monty was trying to hug her again.

The grip tightened, and she found herself being pulled back from Wells' prone body. She bucked her hips, screeching, until her body was pressed flush against the person holding her.

"Katarina," he whispered, and Kat frowned. No one called her Katarina anymore. Not since her father died.

"Katarina, he's not there," he continued to tell her. Trying to break through the hallucination that had taken root.

Kat blinked. When her eyes opened, Wells' body was gone, and she found herself staring at the ground. There was no one there. Not even any blood to indicate that someone had died there.

"I- I don't…"

The grip loosened, and she felt hands on her shoulders turning her around. Lifting her head, she realized suddenly that it hadn't been Monty trying to hold her still. "Lincoln," she breathed, her eyes struggling to focus on him. "Are- are you real?" She reached out with a hand and pressed her palm flush against his chest. He felt real.

But Wells had looked and sounded so real.

"I don't understand," she said, looking up at his face.

Lincoln stared down her, his expression one of concern. He lifted a hand to cup the side of her face, the heat of his palm feeling good against the coolness in her cheek. His thumb brushed away a tear that had slipped from the pool that had filled her eyes. "The jobi nuts," he said carefully, keeping his tone even and clear so that her foggy mind could follow. "When they go bad, they cause visions."

Kat nodded her head at his words. She hadn't known that.

"They won't last long," he promised her. He turned her around, and led her across the camp to where her tent was. Kat let him, her mind in a jumble. Each time her boot caught on something, he caught her, not letting her fall as he helped her along.

"I thought you couldn't come," she mumbled out loud, her brows furrowed. "You shouldn't be here, the others…" She looked around at the camp then. But no one was even paying any attention to them.

Lincoln held the open flap to the tent for her and Kat dropped down to her hands and knees to crawl inside. She paused there, sitting on her hunches as Lincoln lingered outside. He was looking back at the camp to make sure no one was paying any attention to him.

Kat was relieved that the tent was empty, thought she really didn't want to be alone right now. Turning her attention back to Lincoln, she looked at his profile blocking the opening. She reached out for the hand that held the flap open, and his head turned so that he was looking at her.

"Stay." She whispered the word. She wasn't sure if she was asking or telling him.

His eyes searched hers, before he nodded his head to her request. He ducked down and Kat had to move out of the way to give him room to enter. He paused for a moment as his eyes took in his surroundings, before turning back to zip the tent shut, and sealing the two of them inside.

Lincoln looked at her then. She sat in the middle of the room looking lost and terrified. Her eyes stared at her hands, as if she saw something there, he couldn't.

He moved towards her, and her head lifted at his approach. He reached down, his fingers working at the ties on her boots. She let him. He took off her boots, and set them aside. Her socks came off next and soon her jacket, pants and top were removed.

He helped her back towards her bed, and before she could protest, he was removing his gloves and jacket.

Kat watched him, savoring the sight. She really hoped she wasn't hallucinating this. To make sure he was real, she reached out to touch his bare arm. Her thumb brushed over the muscles that jumped beneath his flesh, and she licked her lips nervously.

Feeling her touch, Lincoln shifted closer. He laid down beside her, and his arms reached out to pull her against his body. Kat laid there with her back to him, and his face pressed against her hair.

"Thank you," she said after the silence between them had stretched on long enough. "I've- I've never been high before," she said, mostly to fill the silence. It was like that time back in the bunker. Her nerves kept her talking, even though it wasn't necessary.

"Tell me about it," he finally asked her, and his voice startled her so hard, that she jerked in his arms. Turning her head, she looked back at him from over her shoulder. His expression was gentle, the concern still there, as he watched her. He was waiting for her response, but not demanding it, if she chose to not say.

"Wells," she explained, and her head turned forward, her eyes staring at the wall of the tent. "I saw Wells. I- I knew he wasn't real, and then suddenly he was dying in front of me, and I couldn't tell what was real or not anymore."

Behind her, Lincoln nodded, but didn't say anything. Instead his arms curled around her body more, and she could feel his strength at her back. It was surprisingly comforting.

She could feel the effects of the jobi nuts fading with each passing moment as they laid there together. Her vision was no longer distorted like she was looking through a glass full of water. Things were slowly going back to normal, but the emotions the nuts had dredged up, were as ever present.

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lincoln pressed his lips together, not sure how to answer the question. Not even he knew what tomorrow would bring.

"If the truce doesn't work, what then? What happens to us? To them? To the people we care about?" Kat felt her heart constricting, the weight of everything crushing her. She rolled onto her back, her head turning to the side so that she could look at him.

Lincoln weighed his response, picking his words carefully. His eyes stared back into hers. "We take each day as they come Katarina. Whatever happens tomorrow, we will face it together. If they start a war, then we will face that together."

Kat swallowed, her eyes searching his gaze. "I don't want to make you pick me over your people," she told him honestly.

Lincoln shook his head. "That is my choice. No matter the circumstances Katarina, I will always choose you," he told her, his tone and expression telling her that he was serious.

Again, she swallowed, her head nodding to his words. "I choose you too Lincoln," she said in return. "You and me."

His lips quirked into a partial smile, and he had to admit he liked the sound of those words coming from her mouth. Leaning in, he kissed her, keeping the kiss simple and not as heated and passionate as he felt for the woman in his arms. Pulling back, he hovered over her face, their lips within inches of each other.

Slowly her lips curled into a small smile, and he returned it with one of his own.

"Thank you, Lincoln," she breathed, and he simply nodded his head.

They shifted on the bed, till they laid back down next to each other. She curled up onto her side with her back pressed to his front. His arms curled around her body to hold her close. They could still hear the other delinquents suffering from the effects of the jobi nuts, but it seemed like it was happening in another world. And it might as well have been, with them tucked away inside the tent holding onto each other.

 _ **You and me.**_

Kat licked her lips, her heart tightening within her chest at her own admission.

She could feel Lincoln's breath against the back of her neck, as he settled into sleep. Closing her eyes, Kat relaxed back against him, and quickly followed him into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _ **AN: I just love this couple, how about you? So let me know what you think, did you like/love/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out**_


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Rumors**

 **Chapter fifteen**

Kat woke early the next morning to someone snoring behind her. Furrowing her brows, since she could never recall a time that Lincoln had ever snored in his sleep, she turned her head to glance at the body that was sharing her bed with her.

"Monty! What the hell!?" She screeched in alarm, finding his face against her shoulder, and his body pressed up against her.

The boy stiffened at her shriek, his eyes snapping open in alarm, but Kat was shoving him off her, before he was even completely awake. Rolling into the body on the other side of him, his brows furrowed in more confusion as he looked at Nathan curled up with Octavia, since they were sharing his bed.

"I- I?" he stammered as everyone else in the tent stirred at the loud commotion.

Being the one closest to the tent opening, Jasper sat up, his eyes wild as he looked around. He was clutching a stick in his arms like it was a lifeline. "Was it?" he slurred, his eyes squinting around the tent.

Octavia groaned from her place, burying her face into the crook of her arm. "Too early…" she mumbled.

Kat looked at each person in the tent then, taking in each bewildered look. Gritting her teeth, her eyes finally landed on Monty last since he was the closest to her. "Why were you in my bed," she asked him, keeping her voice as calm as possible. Her eyes however were glaring daggers at the boy who just blinked at her, stupidly.

"I-" he began, his eyes quickly looking over at Jasper for help, but received none from his childhood friend. "You said you didn't want to be alone." His attention went back to her then, and he swallowed at the dark look she gave him. "I'm telling the truth! Jasper and I came in late last night after whatever trip we had been on last night from those nuts…" his voice trailed off as her expression sharpened, and he could tell she was about to tell him to get to his point, so he quickly rushed on to explain. "And you- you were curled up on your bed shivering. You said you didn't want to be alone."

Kat glanced over at Jasper for confirmation, and the boy nodded his head in jerky movements.

Kat blew out a breath of air then, trying to let out the anger that had been building since waking up to finding Lincoln gone and Monty in his place. He must have slipped out when things had started to settle down last night. She slumped back into her bed, wishing he didn't have to sneak out in the first place. That whatever they had was accepted by everyone.

"Now that we have that all squared away- I'm going back to sleep," Nathan said with a roll of his eyes. He flopped back down in the bed he was sharing with Octavia, and rolled over onto his side to give Kat his back.

Kat clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, her eyes moving from the pair curiously. Neither one however paid her any mind as they both seemed intent of going back to sleep. Wide awake herself, Kat climbed to her feet.

Monty instinctively flinched back from her as if she might hit him, but she just waved a dismissive hand. She tiptoed to the flap that Jasper sat in front of, who was still clutching his stick.

"What's with the stick," she asked after she had zipped the tent open. She crawled out and Jasper followed her since he seemed wide awake as well. As if suddenly realizing he was holding the piece of wood, he tossed it out to the side of the entrance.

"Nothing," he muttered as he stood with her. He scratched the back of his head as if he was embarrassed about something.

"You know," Kat started, and his attention flicked over towards her from the corner of his eyes. "After what happened to you Jasper, I understand your fear of them. I know this isn't easy for you. But I appreciate that your trying."

Jasper swallowed, his adams apple bobbing with the motion. After a moment passed between them, he finally spoke up. "I saw him," he said, and indicated with a tilt of his head towards the tent.

Kat glanced back at the tent, her brows furrowing. "Who Monty?" she asked not following.

Jasper shook his head. "No- your grounder- I mean-" he paused at the look she sent him. "I mean Lincoln. It was late and I was tired. It wasn't until after I had gotten into the tent that I realized he was there. I freaked out," he admitted, embarrassed that he was admitting all this to her. "I was holding out that stick thinking it would protect me against him or something- but then I had been high at the time, so I would have believed anything at that time." He laughed sheepishly then, his head shaking even as his face turned red. "But uh- well he was just sitting there. When I had come in he had been just watching you sleep, like he didn't want to leave. He really seems to care about you."

Kat found herself feeling embarrassed that Jasper had caught them together. Even though it had been innocent. Her cheeks brightened at his words, unsure what to say. Lincoln had been watching her sleep?

Jasper watched her from the corner of his eyes.

"I care about him too," she finally said, and her arms moved to cross themselves over her chest.

Jasper nodded his head like he had already figured that out for himself. "Well seeing a grounder like that- so smitten- well it's kind of hard to find him so scary," he admitted, and at her flushed face as she struggled between being angry and embarrassed, he held up his hands and quickly added. "I mean don't get me wrong, I'm plenty scared of them- but I'm just saying- Lincoln- well he's cool."

Kat gave him a look, her brows pinched together, as she squinted at him in disbelief.

Jasper just gave her a shrug, unable to elaborate more on the matter. "But yea, after I showed up, he seemed ready to leave, so I distracted Monty long enough for him to sneak out. He said he would be back at dawn though," Jasper added softly, and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.

Kat nodded, and the tension she had been feeling since she woke up to Lincoln gone, slowly dwindled away.

"So," Jasper said as an afterthought. "Do I need to ask what his intentions are for you?"

Kat punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey!" Jasper yelped, gripping the place where she had hit him. He chuckled though, his lips widening into a bright smile.

Kat rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything there was a shout from the wall.

"Grounders!" Diggs yelled from his post. He was pointing his gun at something on the other side of the wall, but made no move to pull the trigger.

Bellamy, who was closer, heard the shout and ran over to see what was going on. He climbed the ladder to where Diggs stood, shifting his own gun from over his shoulder to hold it ready in case there was an attack.

Jasper held Kat by her arm, keeping her from bolting into harm's way. She let him, since it wasn't like she could stop the two from opening fire on whoever was on the other side.

"What do you want?" Bellamy called out.

Kat couldn't hear the response, but the commotion had drawn the attention of the others from camp. Clarke came up to their side then, and the three of them waited silently for what would happen next.

Bellamy frowned at what the grounder said, and his head turned to look back at Clarke and then over to Kat. Clarke nodded to him, reading the expression there on his features even from this distance, and answered the silent question he had given her.

Kat frowned between them, unsure if Clarke was telling Bellamy to let them in, or to kill them. But then Bellamy scowled, and Kat felt the tension in her body loosen. If he wasn't happy, then that meant Clarke was keeping her word. At least for now.

"Open the gate," Bellamy hollered down to the group near the gate. A mixture of skeptical looks crossed their features, but a girl with long blonde hair moved forward to open the gate as ordered. Bellamy climbed down from the wall to join them.

The gate was dragged open, and Kat walked with Jasper and Clarke to greet their guest. Biting her lip, she was relieved to see Lincoln standing there, with Nyko next to him. The two of them looked intimidating, armed with spears, bows and a quiver filled with arrows. You couldn't tell with all the layers, but Kat new from experience that they would have hidden blades tucked away as well.

"Greetings," Nyko spoke up then, his eyes moving from Bellamy, his gaze lingering on the gun trained on the ground at his feet, before moving on to Clarke. "Clarke of the _Skaikru_ , you have been requested to meet with our Commander."

Clarke's eyes shifted over to Kat then, without turning her head. " _Shaikru_ ," she asked, unsure of the term.

Kat shrugged a little helplessly. "They call us Sky people because we fell from the sky," she answered the best she could. "We are _Skaikru_."

"Ah," she said, with a nod of her head, and her eyes moved back to Nyko.

"What is your name," she asked to be polite.

"Nyko," was his gruff answer, as if he had said more than he wanted to say already. "We must leave now. You may only bring three others with you."

Clarke pursed her lips at his words, her eyes looking over at Bellamy. "Okay, Bellamy, Finn and Kat." She picked the three she trusted most to come with her.

Bellamy nodded, and turned to find someone to put in charge while they were gone.

Jasper shuffled on his feet next to her, his eyes jumping from one grounder to the next. "You sure this is a good idea," he threw out half-heartedly.

Kat nodded. "Yes Jasper. It's okay, I'll keep an eye on Clarke, so don't worry," she said to ease his worries.

"I'm not worried about her," he said with a frown. "Not really... I mean she has Bellamy and Finn to look after her. Who's going to look after you Kat?"

"I will," Lincoln answered before she could respond. Both looked towards him, and Kat felt her cheeks flushing.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she snapped, feeling irritated that everyone thought she needed protection.

"Sure," Jasper said with a teasing smile and she punched him in the shoulder in retaliation.

Bellamy returned with Finn, who looked a little disheveled from sleeping in. Only Bellamy was armed, and when he joined them outside the wall, Nyko held up a hand.

"No weapons," he said with a stern look, his expression hard as he regarded the rifle.

"What? No way," Bellamy said in response. He waved a hand towards both Lincoln and Nyko. "We're not going anywhere from our camp without being armed." His expression moved between the two grounders, his lips curled into scowl. He was not going to give up his weapon that easily.

Nyko glanced from Bellamy to Lincoln, before they settled on Kat.

Kat straightened at the look he was giving her, and she swallowed wondering what he was thinking behind that hard look he was giving her. After a good long moment, with the tension rising between the group, he finally seemed to come to a decision on something.

His gaze moved back to Bellamy, and he held up his hands in an offer of peace. "In good faith," he said out loud. He then began to disarm himself.

Kat watched in shock as he laid down his spear, his bow and quiver or arrows. Looking over at Lincoln, she found him doing the same. They had both even removed their daggers.

"Okay Bellamy, you too," Clarke spoke up then.

Bellamy for once didn't argue, as if seeing the grounders willingly remove their own weapons had taken all the fight out of him. He slipped the gun's strap from over his shoulder and set it down next to their piles.

Kat reached into her boot and removed the shiv she kept with her at all times and laid it down as well. "The first step towards peace," Kat said with conviction. "We are all equal."

Lincoln nodded his head to her, and Kat stepped towards him.

Nyko took the lead, heading back in the general direction of their village. Clarke and Bellamy were behind him, with Kat and Lincoln taking up the rear. The walk was silent, with only the forest filling that silence with life from the chirping birds and the scurrying of the small creatures.

It took them a good hour to reach their destination. Kat looked around, not recognizing the surroundings. They were stopped at a bridge that crossed a river. Nyko stepped aside then, opening the way for them. He leaned back against the stone wall, his arms crossing over his chest as he waited.

Lincoln pulled Kat to join him near Nyko. Only Bellamy and Clarke stood rooted to the spot, not sure what to expect.

Soon the silence was filled with the sound of hooves clunking against the stone bridge. Looking across, Kat saw Anya riding a horse towards them. Her breath catching, she pulled away from the bridge for a better look. She had never seen such a creature, other than in a book from her childhood.

Clarke stood nervously now, her eyes moving from Anya then to Kat and Nyko, then back to the Commander. Bellamy took a step in front of her, but Nyko stopped him with a lift of a hand. "No, only Clarke may speak with the Commander," he instructed.

"It's okay," Clarke tried to reason with Bellamy since he looked ready to argue. Squaring her shoulders, she started forward, joining the woman.

Kat surveyed the grounders. She didn't recognize any of them, but they had at least followed their lead and had stayed several paces behind their Commander. Anya jumped down from her horse, and talked across the bridge as well.

Both leaders met in the middle, each one sizing the other one up.

"She doesn't look very peaceful," Kat mused out loud. If anything, Anya looked ready for war, though she wasn't wearing any visible weapons at least. She had left them with her horse, once she had noticed Clarke had come unarmed.

"She always looks that way," Lincoln said with a shrug of his shoulders. Their leader didn't know how to look anything but fierce.

"You are Clarke of the _Skaikru_?" Anya asked skeptically, her eyes looking over the shorter girl with disbelief.

"Yea," Clarke said with a frown. "And you are?"

"I am Anya," she answered simply. Her head tilted to the side as she continued her inspection of the shorter girl.

"Kat says you want a truce," Clarke said, getting right to the point.

Anya's eyes glanced over at Kat at the mentioning of her name, before turning her dark eyes back to Clarke. "I know you have started a war you do not know how to end," she answered after a moment.

"What no, we didn't start anything!" Clarke snapped, her temper getting the better of her. "You attacked us first, when you hurt Jasper."

The woman's eyes darkened. "You are invaders. Your ship landed in our territory."

"We had no intentions of landing there," Clarke argued, then catching the tone in her voice blew out an aggravated breath. Pinching the bridge of her nose she tried to collect her simmering emotions. "We were sent here against our will. We did not mean to land or had any idea we were landing in someone else's territory. We didn't even know people were living down here."

Anya again glanced over at Kat, recalling the girl mentioning something along those lines as well.

"You burned down one of our villages with your missiles," she added, bring up the more important issue at hand.

Clarke floundered at the woman's words. Missiles?

"The- the flares? We were trying to get the attention of our people. We didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"You didn't," Anya said stiffly, her arms crossing over her middle. "You burned their homes to the ground. Families without shelter for the winter, food rations destroyed. You are parasites, invading our home. You took one of my warriors and tortured him. These are all acts of war."

Clarke glanced back at Lincoln, her stomach turned at the dark look he was giving her. Looking away then, she swallowed. "I- I see," she murmured. Her eyes flickered up to meet Anya's cold stare. "We will help rebuild the village we destroyed. We will help gather food and water for them, to help pay for the damages we caused."

Clarke licked her lips, feeling nervous as the woman made no indication that she had heard her offer. "Once our people land, we will leave your territory and find somewhere else to live. Anya, we just want peace. We don't want to fight. We don't want any more people to die," she said softly, her voice breaking off at the end.

Anya made no move at first, her eyes staring hard and unwavering as she processed the smaller girl's offer towards peace. It seemed reasonable. Since they had not killed any of their people, Anya was considering accepting the truce they wanted. "And of my warrior," she asked, merely curious.

Clarke swallowed. She had considered briefly what would be a fair trade for such atrocities they had done to the man. And only one seemed fair, as much as she would rather not mention it. "It would only be fair, an eye for an eye," she answered, waiting for Bellamy's outburst.

"Clarke no," Bellamy shouted, and she could imagine his fists clenching in rage.

"I was the one who condoned the torture. I will take the punishment."

Anya frowned back at her, but her eyes glanced at Lincoln to gauge his response. She wasn't surprised when he shook his head no. He had always been a sentimental fool.

"It won't be necessary," Anya said with a wave of her hand. "We capture one of yours- Murphy I believe. He has fulfilled your punishment tenfold."

With that cleared up, Anya asked, "Can you promise that these new arrivals won't attack us, that they will respect the terms you and I agree on?"

Clarke considered the question, wondering if the Chancellor and Cain would allow it. She would just have to make sure they saw her point, and hopefully her mother could help convince them that this was the best way. "I promise I will do everything I can to convince them to honor the terms we set."

"That doesn't seem very reassuring," Anya said with a purse of her lips. "Why would I agree to an alliance that your people can break the moment they get here?"

Looking away, Clarke considered her words carefully. "The people coming, they are our leaders from the Ark, the ones who make our laws. My mother is part of those leaders. If you fire the first shot, those people coming down won't bother negotiating. They will wipe you out."

"They can try," Anya said with curl of her lips.

"I don't want them too," Clarke said, surprising the woman. "I don't want to see your people destroyed. If you can show them, that we can live peacefully, there won't be a reason for them to attack. We can just go our separate ways."

Anya considered her words, before she finally nodded her head. "I agree with your terms, Clarke of the _Skaikru_." she finally conceded.

Clarke released a breath of air, and would have hugged the woman, if she wasn't worried that it might be taken as another act of war. "Thank you," Clarke said with relief. "Um- do we shake on it?"

Anya smirked at the girl's nervousness, but shook her head. Turning on her heels, she addressed the group behind her, and projected her voice to include the ones hiding within the trees, incase this that turned out to be a trap.

" _Today we call a truce between the Skaikru and Trikru clans. There will be no war."_

Kat suddenly yelped in surprise when Lincoln grabbed her around the waist, swinging her around in his excitement. Laughing, she grabbed his shoulders for leverage, until he set her back down on her feet. Then his hands were cradling her face, and he was kissing her deeply, not caring who saw them.

OoOoO

Kat couldn't believe it. It was over. Like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Kat felt light as air, like she could just float away. Her crimes had been pardoned, she was free, alive, and there was a peace between the sky people and the grounders.

Looking around at the camp, she watched as people cheered and celebrated as if they had just been set free on earth once again. Even Clarke was joining in on the festivities, hanging out with Raven and Finn. Kat wondered how that was working about, but was sure their new-found comradeship, didn't extend to something personal.

"Whoo!" Jasper whooped as he ran up beside her. For the second time that day, she found herself lifted and spun around. "Put me down!" she shrieked, as Jasper spun in circles till he was dizzy and they toppled to the grass. He was laughing hard, while Kat struggled to keep her lunch down. It was bad enough that on the way back, she had been feeling a little nauseous. She had chalked it up to the rush of adrenaline that had hit, after everything had gone much better than she had expected. Only now hours later, the nausea had persisted.

"You look like you're going to hurl Kat," Octavia commented, being blunt as ever. She held out a hand and hauled Kat up onto unsteady feet.

"Just not feeling well is all," Kat said with a shrug. "I think it's just with everything happening… Nerves you know?"

Octavia nodded, though she didn't seem convinced. "Here eat some of this, it might help settle your stomach.," Octavia handed her some nuts, that thankfully looked nothing like the jobi nuts they had dined on the night before.

"Thanks," Kat said and took the handful. She ate them slowly, finding that they did help a little, filling her belly since she hadn't eaten since early afternoon that day.

"No problem. Hey look- I'm going to spend some time with my brother… he's been quiet since your guys got back. Catch you later?"

Kat waved a hand, watching her friend run off to find the moody man who sat by himself near the dropship. Turning on her feet, Kat stumbled into a solid body and arms reached up to steady her. Blinking, Kat lifted her head, to find Nyko looking down at her.

"Nyko?" she asked, slightly alarmed. After the truce, had been called, the grounders had gone their separate ways. Lincoln helped them back to the camp, but before the gate, he had said he needed to go back to speak with Nyko and the others. Kat had watched him gather the discarded weapons and head off, promising to be back. She just hadn't realized he wasn't coming back alone.

"Its uh- good to see you," she murmured with a wince, knowing her tone hadn't been very convincing.

Nyko grunted, his head shaking at her sheepishness. "Are you not feeling well," he inquired instead. His eyes were looking down at her with some concern as he took in her appearance.

Kat waved a dismissive hand. "Oh yea, perfectly fine," she said. "Are you- here by yourself?"

She glanced around, trying to see if anyone else found it strange that a grounder was walking freely in their camp.

"Lincoln is speaking with Clarke," Nyko said, and pointed over to where Clarke, Raven and Finn were seated.

Looking over, Kat saw Lincoln speaking with the three. It didn't seem like a bad conversation, from what she could see from this angle. Both Clarke and Finn seemed relaxed in his presence, though Raven seemed skeptical.

"Artigas and Penn are with your friend Monty and Jasper."

"Wait what!" Kat jerked around, searching for the little terror.

She spotted them by the fire, laughing.

"Are they-" she started to ask, her eyes narrowed on the container they were passing back and forth.

"Artigas thought it would be appropriate to bring alcohol as an extended gift for the truce," Nyko explained.

"Oh…" she said, her brows pinched. She watched as a couple others joined them at the fire, Diggs and Nathan being part of the group.

"I guess this is good," she said with a nod of her head. It didn't seem like anyone was upset about the peace they had gained. Or too uncomfortable by the grounder's presence in the camp.

When they had gotten back to the camp earlier, Clarke had gone to the drop ship to speak with Chancellor Jaha and Cain about the truce. Afterwards, Clarke had seemed relieved, that they were willing to agree with her choice and had agreed to the terms.

They had been pretty reasonable.

Kat looked over at Lincoln and caught him staring in her direction.

"I did not approve of Lincoln and you," Nyko suddenly said, drawing her started attention back to him. "Lincoln has never truly fit in with our people, always an outcast. He was easily swayed to break our rules for you."

Kat felt her back stiffen, unsure where this conversation was going exactly, but knowing that she didn't like it.

"However, you surprised me."

"I- what?"

"You are as much of an outcast to your people as Lincoln is. And yet you managed to unite our people to see eye to eye. Something I did not think was possible," he explained.

Kat wasn't sure she was hearing him right. "I didn't do anything- not really," she tried to underplay her hand in the truce.

"That is untrue Katarina," he argued with a hard look at her. "You convinced your people to meet with ours, as well as even convinced our leader to try for peace instead of going to war. You played a much larger part then you are willing to give yourself credit for."

She shook her head. "Seriously-" she began, but Nyko cut her off by placing a large hand on her shoulder. "You will make a fine wife for Lincoln," he said suddenly and nodded his head.

Kat blinked at him, and before she could say anything, Nyko let go of her shoulder and walked away. Struck dumb, she turned to follow him with her eyes. Wife?! Where had that come from?

"Katarina?"

Kat yelped, startled from her thoughts, to turn and face Lincoln. He stood there in front of her now, his expression filled with concern. "Sorry you startled me," she said sheepishly.

"Penn brought a deer, if you are hungry? They are cooking it over the fire," he offered.

"Oh, yea sure," Kat said, slightly distracted. She couldn't seem to get Nyko's words out of her head.

Lincoln took her hand, and led her over to the fire. Much like that night in Ton DC, they sat near the fire, enjoying a meal with friends close by enjoying each other's company. Kat hardly tasted the gamey meat though, as she looked from one face to the other.

Lincoln sat next to her, watching her face as different emotions played there under the firelight. She looked deep in thought, but there was a small smile on her lips as she watched Artigas teasing Monty to the point that the boy couldn't stop blushing. Jasper was laughing so hard he was struggling to breathe.

Nyko kept busy with cooking the deer, carving off slices to hand out to each person that joined them near the fire. Clarke sat with Finn across from them, with Bellamy and Octavia joining them.

Kat caught Nyko watching them, his expression unreadable and Kat recalled that night at the fire back in the village.

"Lincoln," she suddenly asked, her head turning to regard the man seated next to her. "What did Nyko ask you- he asked you a question in your language when we were in Ton DC…" she trailed off, wondering if he might not even remember the question.

Lincoln stared back at her, with that look in his eyes. The one that made her heart skip a beat, and her mouth to go dry. It was an intense stare, that she hadn't been able to read. But now, she knew what it meant. Nyko's words played in her mind, and she realized that they may have only known each other for a short amount of time, but it felt like a lifetime.

"Yes," she breathed, echoing the words he had said while staring at her like this by the fire with their friends surrounding them.

His lips quirked, teasing into a satisfied smile. He leaned into her, and she moved towards them. They kissed, oblivious to the world around them.

At least until Artigas whined, "Oh come on." The boy made a gagging noise, and Octavia burst into a fit of laughter.

Kat and Lincoln parted, their heads turning to the group that had stopped in their festivities to watch them.

For the first time in her life, Kat felt like she finally fit in somewhere. Right here, with Lincoln by her side, and the people they cared about surrounding them, she felt content.

* * *

 _ **AN: Okay, so don't hate me... at least not yet. I know it seems like this is the end... and in a way it could be, if this feels like a suitable ending for you, then there you go. Everyone lives happily ever after. But for those of you, that feel like that this is not enough, and that there should be more for Kat and Lincoln, hold onto your horses, because there is one more chapter coming after this one. A little tease of what could be more to come.**_

 _ **Anyways, let me know what you think. Should it end here? I will post the epilogue regardless, just because I like the true ending to this story. But I would like some feedback, on whether you all would like to see a sequel to Rumors.**_

 _ **Did you like/love/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky Out**_


	17. Epilogue

**Rumors**

 **Epilogue**

The first thing to filter into her unconscious state, was the unusual beeping noise. The persistent beep, beep, of a man-made machine, something she hadn't heard in so many years, had her face scrunching up in confusion. Sea green eyes blinked open slowly, only to slam shut under the bright florescent lighting that glared down upon her.

She curled up on her side, shielding her eyes from the bright light as she tried opening them again. She felt unusually sluggish, like she had been heavily drugged for some time, and was just waking up.

"Wh-where," she croaked, her dry throat scratching painfully and she was racked with sudden coughs as her throat convulsed. Reaching up to her neck, she struggled to contain the fit, swallowing dryly and rather painfully.

Her eyes landed on the dresser situated next to the bed she had been laying on, and saw what looked like a glass. She reached out with a shaky hand, her fingers fumbling the container weakly, and knocked it over.

Ice cubes spilled onto the floor, and for a second, she was mesmerized by the unusual object. How was there ice?

The pain in her throat however had her reaching for one that had managed to stay on the white surface beside her, instead of skittering across the floor. She fumbled with the slick piece as it slid around as she tried to pick it up with weak and shaky fingers. It took her several attempts, before she managed to grasp the item and shoved the whole thing into her mouth.

She groaned with relief. The chill hit her tongue and immediately it began to melt. She sucked greedily, drawing water down her parched throat, to relieve the pain there. It wasn't until the ice was completely gone, did she finally turn her attention to her surroundings.

She was- on a bed. It looked like the hospital beds, that they kept in the infirmary back on the Ark, which made no sense. The Ark was destroyed. She recalled it breaking apart as it crash-landed to earth in a last-ditch effort to save the remainder of their people.

Directing her eyes to the room at hand, she looked around her. She was in a white room that reminded her an awful lot of her cell back on the Ark. Not much larger than the eight by four space she had called home for so long.

Sitting up, the blanket that had been pulled up to her chest fell down to her waist. She grimaced at the pain in her side, and she looked down at herself now. She wasn't wearing her usual clothes. She only owned one set of clothing, having to patch them up already, over the past several weeks since landing on earth. While she did her best to wash the outfit regularly, there had been stains that were persistent, and holes that had been made from the constant abuse she put them through. Living on Earth was rough.

Pulling at the grey top, the rough cotton caught on her dry skin as she lifted it up to inspect her skin underneath. There was a large bruise that started from her ribs on the left side and wrapped around to the back where she couldn't see how far it went. Frowning, she tried to recall how she had gotten it. Her brain was still rattled, muddied up from whatever drugs that had been pumping through her system.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, her pale toes peaked out at her, letting her know that her boots and socks had also been removed. Gritting her teeth, she could feel her temper beating back the fuzziness that still lingered in her head. Where was her stuff?

She dropped to the floor below, her feet touching the chilled linoleum and she stumbled at the strange sensation. She had grown quite custom to walking barefoot on dirt floors and the occasional rock. The smooth surface was strange, and she curled her toes as she slowly adjusted to the weight of her body on her feet. She felt weirdly weak, and she had to use the bed to help her walk forward.

Across from her was a door with a small square hole looking out, and she was determined to see where she was being held. She hissed in pain when something pulled at her arm and she looked down to find a needle stuck there beneath the skin there. Following the attached tube, she found that it was an IV administering a clear liquid into her system.

Reaching for it, she pulled the needle out with a quick jerk, tearing off the tape that had been used to hold it into her skin. The burn, had her gritting her teeth, but she relished in feeling something other than the strange numbness in her limbs, and the slow muddied thoughts.

Free of the machine, she started back for the door. She stumbled against it, her knees shaking when she tried to cross the room without anything else to hold her up other than her legs. The window was a little too tall, and she had to grip the wall to ease herself up onto her toes to see out.

A hallway greeted her. It was as white and plain as the room she was being kept in. But across from her room was another door just like hers with a window as well. She tried the handle then, and wasn't all that surprised to find the door locked.

Anger seized her, and she slammed an open palm against the door. "Hey!" She shouted, her voice breaking under the strain. She banged on the door again and called out. She did it over and over again, looking out the window to see if anyone would respond.

Movement from the door across from her, had her looking at the window again. A face peered at her now, familiar brown eyes stared back at her. The face was pale and angular, with thick brown hair falling over his forehead and into his eyes.

"Jasper?" she whispered, her brows furrowing. She slammed a hand against the door again. "Jasper!"

The boy blinked at her a few times, his attention perking up at the sound of his name. It was some relief that he could hear her.

"Kat!" he shouted back, relief filling his expression when he finally recognized her.

Their reunion was short lived however, when suddenly a figure walked passed. Jerking away from the door, Kat stared at it with her heart hammering within her chest painfully. Her brain sluggishly tried to figure out what she had just seen.

A person in a suit. Something like a hazmat suit that scientists wore. Kat recalled seeing something similar, in a drawing Lincoln had made in her sketchbook.

 _Where the hell are we?_

 **THE END!**

* * *

Or is it?

 _ **AN: Let me know what you guys think, did you love/like/hate it?**_

 _ **Inky out**_


End file.
